9 Dec 2009

RAMSI spreads anti-corruption message in Solomon Islands

9:45 am on 9 December 2009

The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands says its important to get the anti-corruption message across to ordinary people, as well those in positions of power.

A series of comic strips and radio plays encouraging people to say no to corruption are running in newspapers and on radio in Solomon Islands this week, to coincide with international anti-corruption day today.

They come as the government's anti-corruption taskforce considers how to prevent abuses that have resulted in the loss of more than 50 million US dollars of public money.

Justin Fepuleai, the deputy special coordinator of RAMSI, says it's working with the government on policies to tackle corruption at all levels.

"It is recognised that there are issues at I guess the central government level and in the public service, but on day to day occurrences there are different forms of corruption, and that's the kind of message were trying to get across. So there might be corruption in terms of people trying to bribe police officers for minor offences, or business people trying to get tenders."

Justin Fepuleai says it was felt cartoons and radio plays would be an effective way to communicate with the public.