Former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) has been detained for alleged corruption after reportedly receiving NT$5 million in bribes from a senior Formosa Plastics Group executive. His detention shocked the local political and business circles.
The corruption case reflects an illicit relationship between the government and political factions. Moreover, it exposes a grave problem of corruption that has long existed in Taiwan’s business culture. This has not only crushed public trust in our government and politics, but also tarnished a company’s public image and stunted its sustainable development potential.
Cheng’s detention is a wake-up call, with a pall of tension descending on the political and business worlds, and this is where anti-corruption measures must be brought to bear.
In addition to cleaning up politics, anti-corruption efforts should be extended to the business world to prevent the same illegal situation from recurring.
Cheng’s case has made it apparent that there is no corruption without corporate bribery. Officials involved in corruption suffer harsh penalties in accordance with the Anti-Corruption Act (貪汙治罪條例), which, no doubt, acts as a deterrent. On the other hand, the need for anti-corruption measures in business, including offering or accepting bribes, is not taken seriously enough.
This year, I participated in the biennial International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), held in Vilnius, Lithuania, from June 18 to 21. This meeting was hosted by Transparency International, an international non-governmental organization. Because business integrity was a dominant issue, two forums were organized at the IACC based on the UN Global Compact.
There are 10 principles in the UN Global Compact, all of which are associated with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Among the principles, the 10th one is “businesses should fight against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.”
Promoting anti-corruption in business benefits sustainable development and connects with the UN’s policymaking. People of Chinese descent often emphasize social and interpersonal bonds, so the business culture shaped by this thinking becomes gradually entrenched, to the detriment of sustainable development.
Promoting the concept of environment, social and governance in Taiwanese businesses is now in full swing, but regrettably, business integrity has yet to be introduced.
In my opinion, this is not enough. I found that according to the UN Global Compact, business integrity should be included in business governance, which would in turn influence the environment and society.
Businesses have a responsibility to combat corruption, but the government is not an outsider in this. In response to the current social climate, good government policymaking drives away corruption in businesses.
Yang Yung-nane is a political science professor at National Cheng Kung University and a member of the board of directors of Transparency International Chinese Taipei.
Translated by Chen Chi-huang
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