Democracy and Political Governance • • • The PAC and the prime minister take urgent steps to ensure that ministries and departments take audits seriously. [PAC and PMO] The MCSAR ensures that the gap between the remuneration of employees in the private sector and that of those in the public service generally, and the civil service in particular, does not become unacceptably wide. [MCSAR] The political and civic leaders of Rodrigues persuade and support parents to send their children to, and keep them at, school or college so that they acquire the skills needed to enable them to compete for the jobs that become available in the civil service from time to time. [Political and civic leaders] Objective 6: i. Chapter 3 Fight corruption in the political sphere 254. 126 Various international institutions (like the World Bank16, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation17 and Transparency International18) rank Mauritius as the best-run and the least corrupt country in Africa. However, according to national surveys carried out by Taylor Sofres Nelson (1999) and by StraConsult (2002 and 2004), Mauritians identify corruption as one of the three most serious problems in the country. In the 2004 nationwide perception survey on corruption, which ICAC commissioned, 20.1 per cent of respondents saw corruption as the country’s most important problem, followed by unemployment (17.0 per cent) and drugs (16.8 per cent). Stakeholders think that both petty and grand forms of corruption have increased. Consequently, 90 per cent of respondents believe that ICAC should make a greater effort to combat the vice. It is revealing to note that one in three respondents (32.8 per cent) with no formal education feel that “some people are above the laws however adequate they are”. Indeed, they think that ministers (50.3 per cent) and MPs (42.8 per cent) are very corrupt. Respondents believe that the Customs Department, the police, the National Transport Authority and banks are very corrupt. Rodriguans rank the police as the most corrupt institution, followed by the Ministry of Fisheries (now the Ministry of Agro-industry and Fisheries) and the Ministry of Housing and Lands. 16 - World Bank. Doing Business 2007 Survey. 17 - Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Index of Governance, published in 2007. 18 - Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, published every year since 1993. Mauri-tius was first ranked in 2001. Democracy and Political Governance Anticorruption legislation 255. Conscious of the negative effect of corruption on the country’s development, Mauritius has enacted or reviewed a number of laws to combat corruption and money laundering in Mauritius. They include: (i) the Companies Act of 2001; (ii) POCA of 2002; (iii) the Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act (FIAMLA) of 2002; (iv) the Mutual Assistance in Criminal and Related Matters Act of 2003; (v) the Banking Act of 2004; (vi) the Financial Reporting Act (FRA) of 2005; and (vii) the Public Procurement Act of 2006. 256. In addition, Mauritius has been a party to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) since 2004. It also acceded to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the SADC Protocol against Corruption in 2003. Mauritius has also signed, although it is yet to ratify, the AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption. 257. According to the CSAR, POCA is the main legislative instrument for fighting corruption. POCA provides for: • • • • 258. POCA established the following oversight institutions and mechanisms: • • • Summary of the CSAR There is corruption in Mauritius, but not at the level found in other African countries 253. Chapter 3 Preventing corruption and fraud by identifying new corruption offences and punishing them with severe penalties. Establishing ICAC, which has the power to detect and investigate corruption offences, investigate money-laundering offences and improve public awareness of corruption. Restraining, and confiscating the proceeds of, corruption and money laundering. Mutual assistance in fighting corruption and money laundering. A parliamentary committee that monitors ICAC and reports to the National Assembly. An annual declaration, made by members of the board and officers of ICAC to this parliamentary committee, of their assets and liabilities and those of their spouses, children and grandchildren. An annual report of the commission’s activities and audited accounts submitted to this parliamentary committee. 127