TI-USA and CIPE release country reports on implementing APEC public procurement transparency standards in Mexico, Peru, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines

Transparency International-USA (TI-USA) and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) today released country reports on the implementation of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transparency Standards on Government Procurement at an event hosted by the World Bank Institute.The standards were voluntarily adopted by the members of APEC in 2004. The country reports analyze the degree to which the standards have been incorporated into local laws and applied in practice, and whether they improved transparency and reduced corruption in key APEC countries.

“These reports illustrate that the potential of the APEC Transparency Standards on Government Procurement to increase transparency and reduce corruption can only be realized by vigorous, consistent multi-stakeholder efforts to implement and enforce those standards,” said Nancy Boswell, President and CEO of TI-USA.

TI chapters in Indonesia, Mexico, and Peru and the TI National Contact in Vietnam cooperated with the development of the reports for their countries and Procurement Watch, Inc., with the support of the GE Foundation, cooperated with TI-USA on a report for the Philippines. The reports include an assessment of the incorporation of the APEC Standards into local law and, based on discussions with the private sector in each country, whether these legal changes have been applied in practice.

Key findings reveal that legal frameworks governing procurement have improved significantly since 2004. However, with the exception of Mexico, respective country legal frameworks do not yet incorporate all of the standards. In each country, implementation on the ground is lagging and fundamental institutional issues negatively impact the integrity of government procurement processes. Decentralization has created many challenges, and the introduction of e-procurement, while a net positive, is not a silver bullet. “The gaps in practical implementation of the APEC Standards show that local businesses must work together through business associations and civil society to demand compliance – and be compliant themselves – in order to say no to corruption and enhance public procurement transparency,” said John D. Sullivan, executive director of CIPE.

The reports are available online at www.transparency-usa.org/publications and www.cipe.org/publications/papers/index.php.

Transparency International-USA (TI-USA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 1993 to combat corruption in government and international business and development. TI-USA promotes systemic reform through collaboration with a global network of local chapters in almost 100 countries, high level collective action with government, private sector and international organizations, and extensive expertise in developing tools and approaches to combating corruption. www.transparency-usa.org

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) strengthens democracy around the globe through private enterprise and market-oriented reform. CIPE is one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy. Since 1983, CIPE has worked with business leaders, policymakers, and journalists to build the civic institutions vital to a democratic society. CIPE’s key program areas include anti-corruption, advocacy, business associations, corporate governance, democratic governance, access to information, the informal sector and property rights, and women and youth. www.cipe.org