On 8 December, 2020, the online event 4K organized by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau of Latvia (KNAB) and Latvian School of Public Administration (VAS), was held to mark upcoming International Anti-Corruption Day. High-level experts discussed the role of internal control in preventing corruption risks both in terms of the current Covid-19 crisis and in everyday conditions, when companies participate in state and municipal competitions (tenders).
The pandemic has not only affected the economic growth, but has also significantly affected the business environment. Therefore, state and municipal public procurements, which ensure orders, are especially important to the functioning of companies. To ensure that state and municipal budgetary resources are invested in a fair and meaningful way, the circumstances of the current pandemic require responsibility and special precautions from both parties involved, namely, the public and private sector. Although the development and implementation of an internal anti-corruption control system is mandatory only to public sector institutions, often there is a lack of implementation.
The participants of the discussion unilaterally agreed that an effective internal anti-corruption control system based on real risks is one of the most important solutions allowing companies to work in conditions of fair competition, to integrate good governance principles in their work and to ensure good reputation. It is equally important to implement a code of ethics and reporting channels in each organization, as well as ensuring effective exchange of data and information, and organizing employee training in accordance with the risks.
The issues of public and private sector internal anti-corruption control were discussed by Jēkabs Straume - Director of KNAB, Dace Gaile – expert of public procurements, Head of Administration of the Ministry of Economics, Katrīna Zariņa - Board Member of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Linda Ozola - Deputy Chairman of the Riga City Council, and Zlata Elksniņa-Zaščirinska - PWC Latvia Chair of the Board and Board Member of the Foreign Investors Council in Latvia (FICIL).
KNAB would like to sincerely gratitude the moderator of the event - Jānis Brazovskis, member of the Board of the Finance Latvia Association and Tet Board member, as well as all experts. KNAB would also like to extend its gratitude to the representatives of Latvian and foreign organizations, as well as the representatives of embassies in Riga that took part in the “4K” conference. Special thanks to the co-organizer of the event – VAS.
The 4K stands for control (kontrole), corruption (korupcija), crises (krīze), and competition (konkurss).