Amie Massaquoi, Information Officer, ACC
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in collaboration with a team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) held a high-level diagnostic review meeting at the ACC Conference Room of Integrity House, to assess and identify key corruption risk areas and how these risks can be mitigated.
The meeting which was attended by senior officials from both the ACC and the IMF, focused on evaluating the effectiveness of existing ant-corruption measures, detecting vulnerabilities and proffering recommendations to strengthen transparency and accountability in the fight against corruption.
In his opening remarks, the Deputy Commissioner of the ACC, Augustine Foday Ngobie noted that engagements of such nature are essential to improving institutional mechanisms to ensure efficiency and public trust. He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to combating corruption and laundering the image of the country. Mr. Ngobie furthered that corruption remains a major hindrance to national development and economic stability but however, the ACC will make corruption a high risk and low return venture.
He urged the IMF to continue supporting the ACC in the fight against corruption. “The fight against corruption requires a multi-faceted approach and collaboration, with international partners like the IMF helping to identify systemic weaknesses and recommend strategies that would enhance service delivery” the Deputy Commissioner averred. He further assured the IMF team that the Commission is always ready to exchange views and share ideas.
Stating the purpose of the visit, the Mission Chief IMF, David Robinson, commended the ACC for its proactive stance in tackling corruption underscoring the importance of sustained reforms. He said the IMF specializes in financial integrity and accountable governance. “A transparent and accountable systems foster confidence and economic growth. Our role is to support countries in strengthening anti-corruption mechanisms that lead to fiscal discipline and economic resilience. We will be conducting a diagnostic review to identify corruption risks across all sectors and proffer recommendations with your expertise” he said.
During the discussion, managers from the ACC addressed in-depth analysis of strategies put in place to fight corruption. The meeting also explored roadmaps which will be used to strengthen institutional oversight and improve service delivery.
The governance diagnostic exercise according to the IMF, revolves around successes, current reforms, identifying gaps, challenges, and opportunites for enhancing governance practices, promoting transparency and accountability within the Governance structure in Sierra Leone. It is also a key priority action and structural benchmark under the New Extended Credit Facility program with the IMF.
The ACC pledged to work and collaborate closely with institutions to implement the recommendations arising from the governance diagnostic review, which Report is expected to be made public in late March 2025.
