Freedom Union proposes law for greater transparency to combat corruption

Freedom Union (UW) has sent a draft bill to Sejm calling for wider access to government information by the public. The proposed changes include: making it mandatory for institutions that administer public funds to explicitly publish on widely accessible media such as the internet, terms and signatories to contracts involving public funds; naming the officials responsible for deciding government contracts and report their progress on a regular basis; comprehensively outline the terms of eligibility to privileges susceptible to corruption such as licenses, permits, tax incentives and subsidies in areas of commerce; correctly supervise public tenders to ensure that only the best bidders win the contract; discourage public officials from simultaneously serving the government and working for private businesses. UW believes if the proposal came into law, it would help to enhance transparency through the elimination of quasi-corrupt lobbying and pseudo-confidential decision-making processes which have been a catalyst of corruption among decision makers especially local government officials. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 4). S.M.