COMMENT | Ensuring strict accountability for Covid-19 budget
Modified15 Feb 2021, 6:08 am
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COMMENT | The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has urged governments around the world to ensure accountability is practised as they allocate unprecedented amounts of funds to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.
As reported by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), some political leaders have relied on the pandemic to increase their power, impose more restrictions on already limited access to information, eliminate transparency requirements from public procurement, and avoid public accountability mechanisms.
Like many other countries, Malaysia has announced large fiscal initiatives to address pressing issues such as rising unemployment, boosting social-welfare programmes, and meeting our urgent healthcare needs. At this time of economic uncertainty, the public is expecting much-needed support from the government.