Most local government bodies in Colombia lack transparency and internal control processes and are therefore vulnerable to corruption
BOGOTA (TrustLaw) - Most local government bodies in Colombia lack transparency and internal control processes and are therefore vulnerable to corruption, says a report by a graft watchdog released this week as public-corruption scandals are making local headlines.
Ninety percent of local government institutions are at high or medium risk of corruption, the Colombian arm of Transparency International said in the study, which examined and ranked bodies governing provinces (governorships) and towns or clusters of towns (municipalities), as well as treasury inspector offices. The three largest cities - Bogota, Medellin and Cali - were excluded from the research because of their big size and complexity.
Factors fuelling corruption include unqualified civil servants, the lack of public and detailed information about how state funds are spent, weak internal control mechanisms, irregular contracting practices and few disciplinary actions taken against corrupt officials, the report added.
To tackle graft, local authorities must gain tighter control of state funds and resources, Elisabeth Ungar, the Colombian arm’s director, said at the launch of the report in Bogota on Thursday.
“Inefficiency and the risk of corruption threaten development and are two sides of the same coin,” she said.
Colombians have a right to know how local officials spend state funds but often that information is incomplete and not easily accessible and or made public at all, according to the report. For example, less than half of Colombia’s 22 local government bodies that receive millions of dollars from energy revenues publish their accounts.
“Public information is treated like a secret,” said the study which looked at the institutions’ processes during 2008 and 2009.
Graft was particularly prevalent in underdeveloped provinces in Colombia’s remote jungle regions and border areas and during bids by contractors for local public projects, such as the building of schools and hospitals.
Forty percent of municipalities awarded more than 70 percent of public contracts without launching a public auction to pick the winner, while more than half of all public contracts awarded by municipalities only had one bidder. This means that decisions about who should carry out the work in return for public money are often made behind closed doors, facilitating dishonest practices such as nepotism, the report said.
Colombia’s government has declared tackling corruption among politicians a priority and is proposing a new anti-corruption bill that would toughen sanctions against public officials convicted of graft.
In response to the report, Horacio Serpa, the governor of the Santander province and a former presidential candidate, said: “We have to create a culture that respects state funds and the idea that state funds are sacred.”
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