In the context of promoting integrity and fight against corruption in public service,
AMAN and Anti-Corruption Commission organise a workshop for heads of municipalities in the West Bank
Ramallah – On Wednesday, 21 September 2022, in partnership with the Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), the Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN) held a workshop for a group of heads of municipalities as part of a series of encounters to introduce regulations in support of the fight against corruption. The workshop included a review of guidance manuals for promoting the integrity and anti-corruption system in functions of local government units (LGUs). These manuals were developed by AMAN in 2021.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Intesar Hamdan, Director of Awareness Raising and Community Outreach, AMAN, welcomed participants and stressed the critical and important commitment of LGUs to the systems of integrity, transparency, and accountability in LGU functions. As the primary service providers, LGUs are closer to and more in daily contact with citizens than any other public institution. Hamdan indicated that, by virtue of their powers, heads and members of LGUs were the most capable of making progress towards this end. They are held to account by citizens for commitment to devising a change and providing better public services.
According to Hamdan, AMAN has compiled a set of guidance manuals for LGUs. These can contribute to immunising LGUs against corruption and strengthening the values of integrity, principles of transparency, and systems of accountability within LGUs.
Mr. Abdullah Ilayyan, Director General of the PACC Integrity and Prevention of Corruption Department, asserted that the PACC role was not limited to detecting suspicions of corruption and holding corrupt individuals to account. All the more so, the PACC pays due attention to preventive measures with a view to maintaining public funds. The responsibility for fight against corruption is collective and cannot be confined to a particular agency. Ilayyan explained that the meeting with the heads of central municipalities aimed at launching an effective and productive dialogue, leading to adopting and applying anti-corruption support regulations.
In the workshop, Hamdan presented on the transparency and integrity indicators at LGUs. Dr. Abdul Rahim Taha, a legal expert, provided a review of the AMAN guidance manuals for heads of LGUs. These include the Manual for Strategic Policy Making and Planning, Procedure Manual for Internal Control and Audit at Local Government Units, Procedure Manual for Complaint Handling Regulation, Guidance Manual on Policies and Processes of the Preparation of Municipal Estimated Budgets, Manual on the Preparation of the Citizens Budgets, Manual for Tendering Procedures, and Manual for Communications Policy and Process between Municipalities, Citizens, Local Communities and Media Outlets.
Mr. Abdullah Nawahdhah, Director of the PACC Legal Counselling Department, provided a detailed account of regulations in support of the fight against corruption, including the Regulation on Gifts, Regulation on the Protection of Witnesses and Whistleblowers, and Regulation on Financial Declarations.
The workshop involved a constructive debate and interactive dialogue. Heads of LGUs shared many real life experiences with relevance to the issues at hand. Commending content of the workshop, participants confirmed that it bridged critical gaps in knowledge and understanding of good governance as well as concepts of fights against corruption at the level of LGUs.
