Transparency International Hungary won two of its three cases at the Supreme Court, which were initiated in 2021 following three Freedom of Information Act requests about the granting practices of the Hungarian Tourism Agency. The defendant, the Hungarian Tourism Agency, has no further authority to appeal and shared data after receiving the courts’ decision. The third case was scheduled for January 2023.
Transparency International Zimbabwe published a policy brief aimed at promoting the role of oversight bodies in safeguarding public resources to mitigate against COVID-19. This and previous policy briefs developed by Transparency International Zimbabwe will be shared before national parliamentary sittings and members of parliament can use these as a reference point to demand transparency and accountability in the use of COVID-19 resources.
Transparency International Brazil conducted an evaluation survey of their Transparency and Public Governance Index (ITGP).
From the 187 municipalities assessed, 103 answered the survey form which collected feedback, criticisms and suggestions about the application process, as well as the work done by the local organisations that Transparency International Brazil has engaged with. Of the responding municipalities, 92% regarded the Transparency International Brazil methodology as pertinent or very pertinent. Additionally, 73% reported that they have improved their practices after the ITGP assessment by following the Transparency International Brazil recommendation guide, and 16.5% are carrying out actions with working groups to improve transparency and governance in their municipalities.
Transparency International Zambia published the results of their integrity screening of the COVID-19 suppliers, analysing businesses that were awarded significant contracts by government ministries during the COVID-19 response in Zambia. Some of the key findings include the fact that state authorities did not always follow the rules regarding due diligence, that many companies did not disclose beneficial ownership information, and some of the businesses' shareholders had identifiable links to politically exposed persons.
In Argentina, Poder Ciudadano released a report evaluating the COVID-19 vaccines procurement process on its COVID-19 Vaccine Observatory website. The report warns about integrity gaps in the control of vaccine contracts, gained substantial coverage in the national media.
Transparency International Hungary held events and a photo exhibition called What is missing in guidebooks at the Sziget Festival to inform the festival goers of the issues with Hungarian tourism subsidies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The chapter also sent a public letter to Karl Soukup, director of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP). They highlighted their findings about granting practices of the Hungarian Tourism Agency Ltd. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since, according to their analysis, these practices do not comply with European Union’s legislation on state aid, they call on DG COMP to take appropriate corrective measures.
Transparency International Zambia released the results of third-party monitoring conducted on the Ministry of Health’s recruitment and deployment of emergency health personnel for the COVID-19 response.
These findings were shared with the Office of the Auditor General, who responded that it would incorporate aspects of the COVID-19 funds utilisation findings, including the recruitment of emergency health care workers, in forthcoming audits.
Transparency International Zambia published the COVID-19 Risk Map report that analyses corruption and fraud risks along the value chain in the COVID-19 response. Their recommendations for future improvements to the procurement system include publicly available and easily accessible information on health services, vaccines and travel requirements, the establishment of clear guidelines for selecting emergency grant recipients and beneficiaries and publicising corrective measures and sanctions to deter fraud and corruption.
Following the monitoring of World Bank funds to seven provincial health offices and 80 district health offices across the country, the chapter also published the COVID-19 World Bank funds utilisation monitoring report. Their recommendations for future disbursement of funds include better data management and guidance on the use of funds, stronger reporting mechanisms to support monitoring, and continuous engagement with civil society organisations
With the aim of supporting investigative journalists in covering stories related to COVID-19 spending, TI Zambia also held training for journalists on investigative journalism, public resource management, and COVID accountability. The training encompassed tips on how journalists can develop a story and hypothesis and identify sources. Participants learned about data mining for obtaining and reporting data in a separate virtual session.
In 2020, Audit Service Sierra Leone audited state institutions entrusted with COVID-19 funds and issued recommendations for improving their systems, processes and activities. On 28 July 2022, Transparency International Sierra launched a report assessing the implementation of the recommendations. Following the launch, key stakeholders like the Anti-Corruption Commission, Audit Service, and the National Public Procurement Authority committed to investigating and following up on the report's recommendations. The Anti-Corruption Commission also ordered an investigation of all issues that TI Sierra Leone found to be unresolved.
- In Argentina, Poder Ciudadano published a report COVID-19 vaccines observatory: Initial findings and recommendations. They found that information on vaccine purchases is scarce, scattered and doesn’t seem to meet the minimum transparency and integrity requirements. To remedy the situation, the chapter recommends that the government guarantees effective access to documents on official channels, publishes information proactively (and not only following requests by citizens or civil society), and supports full tracing of purchases by using consistent labelling in documents that cover purchase, distribution and application of vaccines. The chapter also presented another legal protective action (Amparo) against the Ministry of Health, arguing that redactions of information found in response to previous information requests constitute an unjustified denial of the right to access public information.
- Transparency International Hungary won in the courts’ final instance all three Freedom of Information cases they pursued regarding tourism subsidies and healthcare procurement during COVID-19. The government is now required to release details of five tenders.
- Transparency International Hungary won all three tourism-related FOI cases in the court’s final instance. The judgments require the release of details of five tenders.
- Transparency International Lithuania co-facilitated a workshop during the Open procurement with impact: How? conference in Amsterdam. They shared their experience monitoring COVID-19 procurement at the event and the lessons learned in working on the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Transparency International Brazil finished the assessment methodology for the municipal version of their Transparency and Public Governance Index. Partner civil society organisations then sent the document to municipal governments for review. Along with the methodology, TI Brazil launched, in partnership with Instituto de Governo Aberto, a guide called Transparency and Public Governance Recommendations for Municipalities. This document intends to steer governments towards developing their practices, presenting principles, legal obligations, recommendations and best practices that serve as guidelines to strengthen integrity, transparency and civic participation in municipalities.
- Transparency International Lithuania organised an online event to better understand how corruption risks are managed in infrastructure projects and how to ensure proper monitoring of such projects. A part of the event was dedicated to learning about the planned distribution of €2.2 billion worth of EU Recovery and Resilience Facility funds and the measures that will be used to ensure the accountability and transparency of the money distributed and spent.
- In Argentina, Poder Ciudadano launched a COVID-19 Vaccine Observatory website that brings together all the data collection, work methodology, and reports made by civil society organisations (CSOs) that worked on this topic as well as Poder Ciudadano’s requests for access to public information. All materials are available for download and visualised in a user-friendly way. A webinar was held to publicly present the initial findings of the COVID-19 Vaccine Observatory where collaborating CSOs and public authorities shared their inputs on the vaccine procurement and distribution processes. In the same month, Poder Ciudadano also published a risk analysis report on the regulations for public procurement based on the new Vaccine Law (Law No. 27.573/20) that allows the confidentiality of the agreements.
- Transparency International Brazil started paying subgrants and offering training courses for partner local civil society organisations. The course was offered throughout March and April, with journalists, activists, researchers and other experts teaching relevant skills and offering tools for assessing municipal governments and communicating index results.
- As a result of the procurement multi-stakeholder policy dialogue forums in March and April, Transparency International Sierra Leone succeeded in getting the National Public Procurement Authority to include more COVID-19 response-related items in the current Quarterly Price Norm. This will guide the National COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre when quoting prices for procurement purposes to avoid overpricing.
- Transparency International Zimbabwe published a policy brief E-Procurement as a Mechanism to Institutionalise Transparency and Accountability in Procurement of Public COVID-19 Resources. The publication was intended to contribute toward enhanced transparency and accountability in the procurement of COVID-19 public resources by exploring the extent to which e-procurement can be used in Zimbabwe as a mechanism to institutionalise transparency and accountability.
- Transparency International Brazil selected 9 grassroots non-governmental organisations that will receive mini-grants to allow them to assess and monitor the corruption risks of 163 municipalities in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. Selected organisations will receive training on communication strategy, social media, campaigns, fundraising, advocacy and methodology.
- Transparency International Hungary published a database about grants above HUF100 million in the tourism sector in Hungary.
- Transparency International Zambia trained selected volunteers in their sub-national groups of stakeholders called Transparency Action Groups to support project activities. These will include data collection and monitoring of disbursement and utilisation of the World Bank-supported funds to Zambia National Public Health Institute and the Ministry of Health for the COVID-19 response.
In early 2022, 11 Asociacion para una Sociedad mas Justa volunteers visited local health centres in Honduras to interview health officials as part of their social auditing. They aim to gather information regarding vaccination plans, vaccine storage, application and reporting on vaccination progress.
- Transparency International Hungary launched a report about grants in the tourism sector showing that recovery aid funds were awarded in an untransparent way, with businesses and municipalities close to the pro-government organisations benefiting the most. The report includes recommendations to improve transparency and a benchmarking of good international practices. In the same month, TI Hungary also won the Freedom of Information case related to the authorisation of the Chinese and Russian vaccines by final judgement. As a result, the National Institute of Pharmacy and Food Health had to disclose documents authorising vaccinations.
- Asociacion para una Sociedad mas Justa in Honduras established a web platform VacunasAbiertas, highlighting the results of their analysis of the vaccination process against COVID-19 in the country.
- Transparency International Lithuania advocated for transparency in the use of EU funds in Lithuania in two online public events organised by the Ministry of Justice on business transparency and integrity and by the Anticorruption Commission of the Parliament.
Poder Ciudadano in Argentina presented a legal protective action (Amparo) against the Ministry of Health following their refusal to make contracts to purchase the COVID-19 vaccines public. Additionally, they requested a preventive measure of making the Ministry of Health agreements available to the judge until the controversy ends.
- In Honduras, Asociacion para una Sociedad mas Justa published an investigative story about the free access to vaccines to tackle the myths and rumours about COVID-19 vaccines and promote vaccination among vulnerable populations.
- Following the revelations in a Novaya Gazeta article, Transparency International Russia sent 12 appeals to 12 regional offices of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (competition protection authorities) between October and December 2021. The article they responded to highlighted the purchase of ventilators or tomographs directly from suppliers without a competitive procedure.
- Transparency International Zambia launched the CODOT system, a customised web-based application used to track COVID-19 resources, including funds, vaccines and corruption vulnerabilities. The CODOT system also includes a complaints mechanism, encouraging people to report irregularities.
Transparency International Hungary initiated three Freedom of Information Act cases related to tourism subsidies and three other cases related to healthcare procurement during COVID-19 in September and October 2021.
