The interim government’s advisory council has approved the revised Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) ordinance, which includes a provision making asset disclosure mandatory for ACC officials. It has also decided to expand the scope of the commission’s activities and publish reports online every six months.
Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam announced the decision at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy after a meeting held in Tejgaon on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus.
The new structure will increase the number of ACC commissioners from three to five—one of whom is expected to be a woman and at least one or two IT professionals. According to the press secretary, the presence of technology experts is now essential as the nature of corruption has changed in the era of digital transactions.
Two more proposals were added during the final approval:
1) The ACC will publish public reports on its website every six months.
2) The assets of officials directly involved in corruption investigations will have to be submitted to the relevant authorities.
The government says these changes will play an important role in increasing transparency and accountability.