Anti-corruption strategy
A draft anti-corruption strategy has been drawn up for Finland. The long-term objective of the strategy is to create a society where corruption cannot take hold or go unnoticed.
Studies show that there is structural corruption in Finland. Structural corruption is more difficult to detect than open street-level corruption occurring in many other countries. High-risk sectors are the construction sector, public procurement, community planning and politics.
The low level of anti-corruption measures, lack of monitoring and transparency, and difficulties in identifying corruption are generally considered the main reasons for the prevalence of corruption.
Finland should intensify its national anti-corruption efforts. Several international organisations have also urged us to do so.
We need a long-term strategy to ensure that anti-corruption measures are consistent and focused and that the participants are committed to the work. The goal must be a society where corruption cannot take hold or go unnoticed.
Cooperation network has drawn up a draft strategy
One of the tasks of the anti-corruption cooperation network was to draw up an anti-corruption strategy for Finland.
In January 2015, the network appointed a working group to prepare a draft strategy. The cooperation network approved the draft in June 2016 and submitted it to the Ministry of Justice in February 2017 after a consultation process. The Government has not yet adopted the strategy.
Draft strategy highlights necessary development targets
The draft strategy includes a detailed overview of the current corruption situation in Finland. Based on the overview, the draft defines ambitious yet necessary objectives for Finland's anti-corruption efforts.
Finland needs a designated anti-corruption actor or agency with sufficient resources for coordinating, supporting, following and initiating anti-corruption measures.
More resources must be allocated for the exposure and investigation of corruption cases. The corruption-related knowledge and skills of public officials participating in the investigation of suspected cases of corruption should be improved.
Involving a wide range of actors in anti-corruption work is another area where improvement is needed. It should be ensured that tools for the prevention of corruption are taken into use in the practical work and that all parties know where the boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour lie.
The practical implementation of anti-corruption measures requires well-functioning and permanent official structures.
Finnish society needs more information on the following issues:
- corruption as a phenomenon
- norms related to anti-corruption efforts
- tools for anti-corruption work.
Special focus should be placed on the identified risk sectors:
- construction sector
- public procurements and competitive tendering
- community planning
- political decision-making and funding.
The capacity of public officials to recognise and combat corruption should also be improved.
Openness and transparency of decision-making are considered important in Finnish society. Yet well-structured public information is often difficult to come by.
Improving different actors' access to information and increasing their opportunities for participation reduces opportunities for corrupt practices and strengthens democracy. Increased openness helps prevent corruption.
A more open approach is required especially in the following areas:
- funding of political parties and election campaigns
- personal interests of political representatives and public officials
- recruitments and appointments to public offices
- public procurement
- town planning
- corporatisation and business activities.
Exposure of corruption cases can be intensified by raising awareness of corruption and developing the relevant parties' competence in the area.
In certain cases, exposure can be enhanced by improving enforcement officials’ access to information or by obliging certain actors to report on matters in more detail.
Enabling anonymous or at least confidential reporting of suspicions of corruption and protecting reporting persons from various forms of retaliation are also essential. Furthermore, authorities' opportunities to report suspicions of corruption should be improved.
Legislation is an integral part of comprehensive prevention of corruption.
The functioning of the legislation related to the prevention of bribery offences and other forms of corruption should be analysed and, when necessary, improved. The legislation must be effective enough, serve the purpose it was designed to serve, and have a preventive effect.
We still know only a little about corruption taking place in Finland, because it usually occurs away from the public eye. Very few corruption cases come to the attention of the authorities or the public.
Very little research on corruption is conducted in Finland. It would, however, be of paramount importance to regularly collect qualitative and quantitative information on the different forms of corruption and their prevalence. This would help ensure that the bodies engaged in anti-corruption work have access to up-to-date information so they can focus their efforts on the right issues with regard to corruption in Finland.
The draft strategy includes a plan of action outlining the practical measures to be taken to achieve the objectives set out in the strategy. The parties responsible for each measure are also defined. A joint effort of several authorities, businesses and organisations is required to combat corruption successfully.
The draft strategy (in Finnish) is available at the Institutional Repository for the Government.