The Ministry of Justice Agency Against Corruption 2021 Model Anti-Corruption Officers Award Ceremony was held at the grand hall of the Ministry of Justice on September 29 at 11 AM. Deputy Minister of Justice Tsai, Pi-Chung hosted the ceremony.

In his speech, the Deputy Minister congratulated the 10 model anti-corruption officers selected for the award and also expressed his respect for them as he noted that civil service ethics works are not suited for the average person, for they not only require professional competence but also an extraordinary capacity for solitude and isolation. This year’s (2021) award recipients are stationed at the government employee ethics units of different government agencies across the country and were selected for their contributions in the areas of international affairs, administrative transparency, integrity education, and investigation, showing the diverse professional competence of our country’s anti-corruption officers. In their award acceptance videos, the award recipients talked about their beliefs regarding anti-corruption values, demonstrating their ambition and sense of duty towards their work. It is through such strong ambition and sense of duty that we come together to form a relentless and positive force that strives to rid Taiwan of corruption.

The Deputy Minister also mentioned that in order for our colleagues to fully invest themselves in their work, support from their families is crucial. Since family members of award recipients were unable to attend the award ceremony in person due to the ongoing pandemic, the Deputy Minister hoped to share these videos with them so that award recipients can share their glory with their partner, their parents, as well as the rest of their family. At the same time, these videos not only help the family of award recipients learn more about the importance of civil service ethics works to the country, society, and general public, but also pass on the award recipients’ passion and attitude toward their work to the next generation of anti-corruption officers. By taking pride in our works, we can carry on our legacy and forge a path for future generations.

The Deputy Minister pointed out the rapidly shifting circumstances both at home and overseas in recent years, and said that in order to meet the expectations and needs of the general public, it is essential that our colleagues show the passion, courage, and responsibility required to successfully carry out anti-corruption works. The Deputy Minister further laid down three goals for our colleagues to strive for and called for the change of organizational culture to foster a new anti-corruption mindset and new visions for the country and its government agencies:

1. Support agency colleagues through collaboration in epidemic prevention

Throughout the course of this pandemic, our anti-corruption team has assisted government agencies with the distribution, management, and inspection of epidemic prevention resources, so as to assist agencies in thwarting the hoarding, price gouging, theft, and misappropriation of such resources. Faced with pandemic controversies, our civil service ethics officers have proactively assisted their agency in the implementation of various epidemic prevention measures. This shows that our government employee ethics units have provided strong support to their agency colleagues. They are also regarded as objective third parties and have been able to provide agencies with much-needed help to maximize the effect of their epidemic prevention efforts.

2. Prevention before cure—implementation of risk control and management

As time changes, anti-corruption works have moved from conventional whistleblowing to risk warning. This is because prevention beforehand is more important than investigation after the fact. Recently, Premier Su, Tseng-Chang and Secretary-General Li, Men-Yen attended the Central Integrity Committee’s meeting and once again stressed the importance of prioritizing prevention before cure. We therefore ask all our civil service ethics officers to carry out risk assessments in advance, ensure personnel safety, and gain a better understanding of their work environment, so as to help their agency uncover potential problems and keep the head of their agency updated on the latest information. This is where the value of anti-corruption works lies.

3. Offering reassurance by providing services that keep up with the times

As Premier Su would often say: “A capable government provides reassurance.” The purpose of a government is to offer its people reassurances. In order to keep up with global competitions and trends, the government needs to reevaluate its administrative practices and implement measures that are less controversial and more efficient, down-to-earth, and in line with public opinion. By putting ourselves in the shoes of the public, we can effectively utilize our civil service ethics officers to assist the heads of government agencies as well as other service units, allowing for anti-corruption measures that are friendlier and more heart-warming. This ensures that our fight against corruption is in the heart of everyone at all times.