KINGSTON, Jamaica — Representatives from three ministries and 11 public bodies have benefited from anti-corruption and integrity training workshops held between July 1 and September 30, 2023.

According to a release on Monday, the sessions, aimed at promoting good governance and accountability in the public and private sectors, were administered by the Integrity Commission, through its Corruption Prevention, Stakeholder Engagement and Anti-Corruption Strategy Division.

Among the topics covered were an overview of Jamaica’s anti-corruption institutional and legislative frameworks and the problem and cost of corruption.

There were also discussions about the responsibility of a country’s leaders and lawmakers to tackle corruption, as well as principles of good governance, integrity, ethical conduct and accountability in public life.

Over the period, the Corruption Prevention, Stakeholder Engagement and Anti-Corruption Strategy Division also delivered presentations on anti-corruption and good governance to participants in the Protected Disclosures Training Programme hosted by the Caribbean Regional Drug Law Enforcement Training Centre (REDTRAC).

Director of the Division, Ryan Evans, said the training is part of the mandate of the Commission.

He explained that under Section 3(b) of the Integrity Commission Act, 2017, the entity has a mandate “to promote measures for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of acts of corruption.”

Evans further noted that educating the public on matters relating to corruption “is a critical component of the approach adopted by the Commission as it executes its mandate”.

“The public education interventions are aimed at promoting the principles of good governance and accountability within the society, and the intention is to continue the rollout of the public education initiative across the society,” he added.

The workshop modules, designed by the Commission, cover a wide range of anti-corruption, integrity and good governance subject areas, as well as information about the Commission’s statutory mandates, enforcement functions and Jamaica’s anti-corruption laws.

Some of the entities attending the workshops included the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica Customs, Factories Corporation of Jamaica, EX-IM Bank, HEART/NSTA Trust, National Road Operating and Constructing Company Limited, Anti-Dumping & Subsidies Commission, Department of Cooperatives and Friendly Societies, Kingston & St. Andrew Municipal Corporation, National Land Agency and Jamaica Ultimate Tyre Company.