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PUBLIC ORDER
During the year, two of the three main ordinances enforced by the commission - the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and the ICAC Ordinance were amended to tighten- up certain provisions in view of difficulties experienced during some investigations and prosecutions. The amendments gave the commission wider investigative powers and in- creased the financial penalties for offences.
Corruption Prevention
The Corruption Prevention Department is responsible for giving advice on how to reduce corruption opportunities arising out of the practices and procedures of government depart- ments and public bodies, and of any private organisations which may ask for assistance.
During the year, 66 studies were completed and the reports were forwarded to the heads of government departments and other organisations for consideration. At the end of the year, 25 studies were under preparation and 174 areas of activity were awaiting study.
By the end of 1980, the department had completed 420 studies since its establishment in 1974. Consequently, its task of checking whether recommendations have proved effective has greatly increased. In many areas there have been so many fundamental changes since the original studies were made that complete re-examination has become necessary.
The External Training Team, set up in 1978, continued primarily to convey the principles of supervisory accountability as a corruption prevention measure. The original target audience was junior management, but seminars are now being run for people at all levels of management; in some departments it has been found desirable to speak also to front-line supervisors. The scope of instruction has been extended to cover advice to the individual on what to do if a bribe is offered, and the procedures to follow within a department when a report is made about such an offer. The need for instruction at much more junior levels has resulted in the development of programmes to 'train the trainers' within government departments so that the corruption prevention message can be spread as widely as possible. During the year, 317 seminars were run for officers at various levels up to the directorate in 15 government departments.
The ultimate responsibility for ensuring that employees are not exposed to the temptation to offer or solicit bribes rests with the heads of departments and organisations. Over the years, the Corruption Prevention Department has established a close working relationship with most departments in the government.
When corruption prevention advice is sought in the planning stage of new ventures, special procedures and methods of organisation can be devised to reduce the opportunities for corruption.
Community Relations
The Community Relations Department is responsible for fostering and enlisting public support in the anti-corruption fight in Hong Kong. This is achieved mainly through disseminating information via the mass media and by direct personal contact with members of the public individually, and in groups.
On the information front, the department engaged an international advertising agency in 1980 to design a multi-media publicity package to emphasise the harmful repercussions of corruption. The package included three 30-second announcements for screening on television, as well as printed publicity material. At the end of the year, a new seven-part, 60-minute TV drama series was in full production and this should be screened in mid-1981. The department also continued its production of a series of five-minute informative films for local television audiences.