Create leaner, more efficient anti-corruption unit

THE EDITOR, Madam:

A strong institution which is empowered to fight corruption and does so effectively, is a major credit to any society, especially developing countries.

The concept of an Integrity Commission in Jamaica sounds good, but I do not believe the Commission in its current dispensation is serving its purpose.

A statistic reported in media in recent years highlights one aspect of my concern. It noted that of the nearly 190,000 statutory declarations received by the Integrity Commission since 2018, just over 3,000 have been completely reviewed and certified.

Additionally, in too many instances, the Commission’s reports appear to have placed emphasis on presenting mere fodder to those inclined to the salacious, as opposed to empirical facts and evidence to support its conclusions.

I believe that it would be a major boost to the corruption fight in Jamaica if the Commission were disbanded and a new, leaner and more efficient anti-corruption unit set up in Jamaica to hold public officials accountable.

MARY ALEXANDER