CIAA Chief: New Corruption Trends Creating More Challenges

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has said that new and changing forms of corruption are creating more difficulties in controlling it.

Speaking at a program in Kathmandu on Wednesday to mark the CIAA’s establishment day, Chief Commissioner Prem Kumar Rai said corruption patterns are changing, so the existing systems and strategies must also be improved and updated.

He said the CIAA has been playing a strong and leading role in fighting corruption in Nepal, but corruption cannot be controlled by the CIAA alone. He stressed that punishment alone is not enough to ensure good governance and reduce corruption.

“For effective control of corruption, all state bodies must work together. The private sector, civil society, and the media must also support this effort,” Rai said.

He also expressed concern that government institutions have not been active enough in taking preventive steps and promoting good governance. He said coordination among government bodies in controlling corruption is still weak.

Rai called for more government investment and nationwide awareness and prevention campaigns under the leadership of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

He also pointed out that Nepal does not have a clear legal definition separating policy decisions from administrative decisions. Because of this confusion, many administrative issues are taken to the Cabinet, and some officials try to avoid responsibility by calling their decisions “policy matters.”

According to CIAA data, 148,500 complaints were registered in the last five years. Out of them, 107,915 complaints (72.8 percent) have been resolved. The CIAA filed 137 corruption cases in the last fiscal year and 94 cases so far in the current fiscal year.