Colombia’s government proposes anti-corruption bill

Colombia’s President Iván Duque has presented a bill aimed at strengthening the prevention of corruption in the country

The bill was drawn up in collaboration with the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, the General Comptroller’s Office and the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation, Duque (pictured) said on Tuesday during the ceremony to launch the Colombian chapter of the World Compliance Association (WCA), an international entity that works to ensure corporate transparency.

Duque said his administration is committed to fighting corruption, and said the legal initiative has “the support of the high courts, and the Council of State”.

The bill proposes making public the income and wealth declarations of senior officials, the publication of conflicts of interest, and a no-house-arrest rule for those convicted of corruption, among other proposals.

The bill also proposes a law to make bidding for public contracts more transparent, including a provision preventing companies that have engaged in bribery from being awarded contracts in the future.

Earlier this year, Colombia introduced a new law that will increase the fiscal accountability of public servants.