The Integrity Commission has encouraged chartered accountants, and other professionals involved in financial management, risk management and leadership, to assist companies in the public and private sectors to establish sound corporate governance systems that will ensure the highest level of fiduciary responsibility.

Ryan Evans, director of corruption prevention, stakeholder engagement, and anti-corruption strategy at the Integrity Commissions, said chartered accountants and other trained professionals who are better equipped to spot financial irregularities can help in the fight against corruption and contribute to the development of a culture of accountability.

He was speaking at a recent business ethics seminar organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAJ).

According to Evans, public officers and professional groupings such as chartered accountants, by the service that they offer and duties that they perform, have a duty and an obligation at all times to exercise sound judgement and discharge their duties, functions, and responsibilities faithfully and in the public interest.

ICAJ members, he said, have a critical and fundamental role to play in the fight against corruption and should, amongst other things, become more involved in audit and procurement committees. He said accountants can also contribute to the development of anti-money laundering reforms as well as the development of a national anti-corruption strategy, and assist declarants with the filing of statutory declarations.

The seminar was aimed at promoting the principles of good governance and integrity.

In 2020 the World Economic Forum and the Commonwealth Secretariat estimated that corruption costs developing countries US$1.2 trillion per annum. The report said corruption in any country erodes trust, hampers economic development, and undermines quality of life.

Jamaica’s ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index for the year 2022 was 69th out of 180 countries.