Oct-Dec 2015 Editorial Volume XXVVVI · November 13, 2015 at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad which...
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1 | Page Quarterly Newsletter Oct-Dec 2015 Volume XXVVVI Editorial 2 ALAC Pakistan Contact Us Editor: Akber Panjwani Layout: Maryam Khalid Cartoonist: Zahid Gara Inside this Issue TI Pakistan Oct-Dec 2015 Anti-Fraud Hotline 4 6 What is needed in this day and age is a reformed local- government system that boosts democracy in Pakistan through devolution of power to the local bodies. This can be done by electing local councils according to a list system of proportional representation. Only when such reforms are brought about can local governance will allow for a more participatory approach. Elected local governments could be a stabilizing force for the country, by establishing governance accountability and increasing a culture of participation. It is vital to better these systems all over Pakistan to deal with a variety of problems; be it economic development, rising crime, terrorism, employment, health and education. Post 18th Amendment Pakistan has brought about changes in the federal structure of Pakistan by allowing the provinces to take the lead in areas traditionally under the control of the central government. Local government is one of these areas. It is necessary for the provinces to provide the relevant space, resources and structure to allow local governments to flourish. International experience has shown the benefits of these structures in terms of service delivery and what the involvement of citizens at the grass- root level can bring about. It is imperative for all the stakeholders to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to bring about a citizen-led style of governance. Local bodies in Pakistan are much needed grassroots organizations that carry out the required administrative functions and inevitably devolve power and authority to the district, sub-district and community level. However, these local government institutions have seldom been provided adequate room and resources to carry out their tasks efficiently. This is against the principles of Pakistan’s constitution, Article 140A of which states that: “Each province shall, by law, establish a local government system and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority to the elected representatives of the local governments.” The representation of marginalized groups of society that include women, working class, youth and minorities is being further reduced. Worst of all is the fact that the local representatives are usually not representative of the people as they are people who are well connected with the existing political parties and may not necessarily reflect the aspirations of the people concerned. This further diminishes the voices of concerned citizens and will do little to address their grievances. Local democratic institutions are essential for strengthening national democracy. Any step taken to strip these institutions of their core municipal functions will reduce the political rights of the citizenry.
Transcript of Oct-Dec 2015 Editorial Volume XXVVVI · November 13, 2015 at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad which...
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Quarterly
Newsletter
Oct-Dec 2015
Volume XXVVVI Editorial
2
ALAC Pakistan
Contact Us
Editor: Akber Panjwani Layout: Maryam Khalid Cartoonist: Zahid Gara
Inside this
Issue
TI Pakistan
Oct-Dec 2015
Anti-Fraud Hotline
4 6
What is needed in this day and age is a reformed local-government system that boosts democracy in Pakistan through devolution of power to the local bodies. This can be done by electing local councils according to a list system of proportional representation. Only when such reforms are brought about can local governance will allow for a more participatory approach. Elected local governments could be a stabilizing force for the country, by establishing governance accountability and increasing a culture of participation. It is vital to better these systems all over Pakistan to deal with a variety of problems; be it economic development, rising crime, terrorism, employment, health and education.
Post 18th Amendment Pakistan has brought about changes in the federal structure of Pakistan by allowing the provinces to take the lead in areas traditionally under the control of the central government. Local government is one of these areas. It is necessary for the provinces to provide the relevant space, resources and structure to allow local governments to flourish. International experience has shown the benefits of these structures in terms of service delivery and what the involvement of citizens at the grass-root level can bring about. It is imperative for all the stakeholders to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to bring about a citizen-led style of governance.
Local bodies in Pakistan are much needed grassroots organizations that carry out the required administrative functions and inevitably devolve power and authority to the district, sub-district and community level. However, these local government institutions have seldom been provided adequate room and resources to carry out their tasks efficiently. This is against the principles of Pakistan’s constitution, Article 140A of which states that: “Each province shall, by law, establish a local government system and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority to the elected representatives of the local governments.” The representation of marginalized groups of society that include women, working class, youth and minorities is being further reduced. Worst of all is the fact that the local representatives are usually not representative of the people as they are people who are well connected with the existing political parties and may not necessarily reflect the aspirations of the people concerned. This further diminishes the voices of concerned citizens and will do little to address their grievances. Local democratic institutions are essential for strengthening national democracy. Any step taken to strip these institutions of their core municipal functions will reduce the political rights of the citizenry.
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Transparency International-Pakistan
AFH SYNOPSIS
Anti- Fraud Hotline (AFH) has successfully completed the first quarter of its sixth year. The project was conceived to establish an oversight mechanism for projects undertaken with the aid of USAID funds, including the US $7.5 Billion of Kerry Lugar Bill. AFH has thus far played a pivotal role in ensuring transparency and prevention of corruption in the utilization of the grants. The activities of AFH consequently help facilitate the distressed and deprived citizens, by ensuring that relief and development resources reach the intended beneficiaries and also encourage citizens to pursue corruption related complaints either as a victim or witness of corruption in USAID funded projects, which they can report by contacting the AFH, which forwards all the complaints to the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The OIG has recovered Millions of Dollars based on their investigations on the reports of AFH. The complaint management cell employs multilingual trained complaint management officers, who receive complaints through toll free hotline, sms, whatsapp, email, website, and walk in complainants. After a careful revision and assessment the complaints are reported to OIG, who is the only agency authorized to view the complaints, and this ensures integrity of the complainant’s information. AFH does not only focus on reporting complaints regarding corruption but also works towards spreading awareness regarding corruption hazards and in this regard various workshops have been arranged targeting the USAID implementing partners from private sector as well as G2G partners, with the aim to educate the participants on corruption risks and also to provide them with relevant information that would help them in fighting and reporting corruption. In this quarter one workshop on Fraud Awareness and Prevention for implementing partners was arranged on November 13, 2015 at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad which brought together 83 participants. Representatives from USAID, OIG and NAB were invited who gave the presentations related to the topic. Apart from reporting complaints AFH also scans and monitors local newspapers for the violation of PPRA rules in USAID funded projects.
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Mission Director USAID, Mr. John Groarke addressing the Workshop
Acting Chairman NAB, Mr. Mohammad Imtiaz Tajwar during his speech
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Since inception AFH has received over 67,000 calls, which is a huge volume, considering the environment in Pakistan. Citizens are highly reluctant in reporting issues and cases of fraud to any authority, due to their mistrust in the Government department’s ability to resolve their complaints. AFH has successfully formulated over 7,000 complaints out of this call volume, and these complaints have supplemented the efforts of the OIG in conducting investigations to detect and recover misused USAID funds in various projects across the country, consequently resulting in the saving of USAID funds worth Millions of Dollars. In the reporting quarter, AFH hotline received around three thousand calls, which resulted in the formation of 81 complaints, while the remaining number of calls included, inquiries about USAID projects and activities in Pakistan, complaint status requests, complainants calling to update complaints, and calls that are general info’s, wrong numbers etc.
Director NAB, Mr. Zafarullah Khan sharing some case studies
Mr. Saad Rashid, Executive Director, Transparency International Pakistan, sharing
his views
Special Agent in Charge OIG, Mr. Daniel Altman during his presentation
Participants during the workshop
Participant asking question from the panelists Acting Chairman NAB with USAID and OIG
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It has been a very busy quarter for ALAC. It organized 07 Mobile ALAC camps where approximately 450 people were given free legal advice. The districts where ALAC organized its Mobile ALAC camps are:
Advocacy & Legal Advice Centre (ALAC)
1. District Khushab in collaboration with Al Falah Society
2. District Kallat in collaboration with Gindar Social Development Society
3. District Jhang in collaboration with HERA Foundation
4. District Larkana in collaboration with Human Friends Citizen Community Board
5. District Zairat in collaboration with Sabawoon for Peace & Sustainable Development (SPSD)
6. District Vehari in collaboration with Sudhar Development Organization
7. Distirct Mianwali in collaboration with Women Welfare Society Mobile ALAC Jacobabad
Mobile ALAC Ziarat
Marginalized people who can not afford a lawyer’s fee get free legal advice if they face corruption. People also increase their awareness by exchanging their experiences on corruption.
Right to Information Hyderabad
Right to Information Mansehra
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ALAC
ALAC also conducted 9 workshops, for training of citizens, on Right to Information laws. Around 350 individuals from various sectors were given training on filing RTI requests, and sensitizing on the issue of access to information implications on transparency and accountability. The districts where the workshops were conducted are: 1. District Abbottabad in collaboration with Haqooq ul
Ebad Development Foundation 2. District Khushab in collaboration with Al Falah
Society 3. District Chitral in collaboration with Movement for
Rural Development Organization 4. District Bhakkar in collaboration with Patient Welfare
Society 5. District Hyderabad in collaboration with Youth
Development Forum 6. Islamabad in collaboration with Haqooq ul Ebad
Development Foundation 8. District Kallat in collaboration with Gindar Social
Development Society 7. District Swabi in collaboration with Movement for
Rural Development Organization 8. District Toba Tek Singh in collaboration with Social
Welfare Society 9. District Multan in collaboration with Sudhar
Development Organization
Mobile ALAC Quetta
Mobile ALAC Sahiwal
Mobile ALAC Gojra
On International Anti-Corruption day 9th December, 2015, a total of 9 walks and 8 seminars were held in 10 districts all over Pakistan where a total of 1247 (approx.) people participated in walks and 947 in seminars. Some 53 speakers addressed the participants in these sessions and the events were covered in 37 newspapers: 1. Tehsil Burewala in collaboration with
Sudhar Development Organization 2. District Mardan in collaboration with
Movement for Rural Development Organization
3. District Hyderabad in collaboration with Youth Development Forum
4. Islamabad City in collaboration with Haqooq ul Ebad Development Foundation
5. District Kallat in collaboration with Gindar Social Development Society
6. District Jacobabad in collaboration with Human Friends and Community Development
7. District Bhakkar in collaboration with Patient Welfare Society
8. District Toba Tek Singh in collaboration with Social Welfare Society
9. District khushab in collaboration with Al Falah Society Joharabad
Anti-Corruption day 9th December
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21st- 22nd October
Dr. Srirak Plipat, Regional Director, Asia Pacific Department at TI Secretariat along with Mr. Saad Rashid, Executive Director, TI-Pakistan met with donors, USAID, DFID, DFAT, SDC , German political Secretary and UNDOC, in Islamabad.
4th November
Ms. Heather Cruden, High Commissioner/ Haut – Commissaire of Canada Visited TI-Pakistan.
13th November
Workshop on Fraud Awareness and Prevention was arranged at Hotel Marriott, Islamabad.
26th November
Australian team, Dr. Michele Forster, Director, Pakistan and Central Asia, Ms. Nicole Guihot, Australian High Commission, First Secretary (Economic-Public Diplomacy), Ms. Margaret Adamson, Australian High Commissioner, visited TI-Pakistan office.
9th
December
Various event including walks, seminars and Mobile ALACs on International Anti-Corruption Day.
10th
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National Accountability Bureau (NAB) organized a seminar on “Zero Tolerance 100% Development” in collaboration with Transparency International Pakistan at Avari Towers Hotel, Karachi.
22nd
December
Transparency International Pakistan’s Annual Members’ Meeting 2015 was attended by the board of members and the trustees at Hotel Marriott, Karachi.
Contact Us
5-C, 2nd Floor, Khayaban-e-Ittehad, Phase VII, D.H.A, Karachi.
92 21 3 5390408/9 Fax: 92 21 3 5390410
www.transparency.org.pk
www.facebook.com/ TransparencyInternational.Pakistan
Transparency International Pakistan Activities
October ~ December, 2015
tipakistan1
Transparency International Pakistan
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