A half-day conference focusing on the role of the Integrity Reporting Services Agency (IRSA) and the Good Governance and Integrity Reporting Act 2015 opened this morning at the Maritim Resort & Spa in Balaclava in presence of the Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr Dharmendar Sesungkur, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Institutional Reforms, Mr Maneesh Gobin and other eminent personalities.
In his address, Minister Sesungkur highlighted Government’s endeavour and unflinching commitment to promote Mauritius as an international financial centre of excellence with focus on transparency and accountability.
Good governance, he emphasised, is solidly entrenched in Mauritius and it stands high on the priority list of government agencies including formal oversight institutions, sub-national governments and local communities, civil society, the private sector, and political actors and institutions. It is vital for these agencies to understand the principles of good governance and work together in ensuring effective and equitable delivery of services, he added.
The Minister underlined that the Corporate Governance Code of 2016 lays out the best practice in corporate governance and remains an important self-regulatory tool for clean business in the corporate world. He further pointed out that the Code of Corporate Governance is an important document as it also outlines ethical behaviours at companies’ management level and promotes high quality corporate governance as well as investment. He announced that an Office of Good Governance will be set up to support good governance and sound management practices.
Speaking of the public sector, Minister Sesungkur underscored that an Excellence Awards will be launched for governmental and parastatal organisations with a view to promote transparency and condemn corrupt practices. He underscored that civil service officers should be empowered for a rapid, transparent and accountable development.
In a statement, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Institutional Reforms, Mr Maneesh Gobin, highlighted that the conference will help other Mauritian law enforcement agencies to better understand the role of the IRSA and will thus collaborate in the effective implementation of the Good Governance and Integrity Reporting Act.
Some 40 participants from law enforcement agencies comprising the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Mauritius Revenue Authority, Financial Intelligence Unit and Transparency Mauritius, amongst others, attended the conference. Discussions included individual experiences of problems encountered in the seizure and recovery of the proceeds of crime, corruption and information sharing.
About the IRSA
The IRSA operates as an agency for the purposes of the Good Governance and Integrity Reporting Act 2015 which has been introduced with a view to address the deficiencies in the current legislative framework and stimulating performance in public and private sector organisations through effective reporting and other processes. It has the power to receive reports and disclosures of positive acts of good governance and integrity, acts of malpractices and unexplained wealth; and evaluate as well as process any such report or disclosure.
Source: Government of Mauritius