The National Assembly yesterday resolved that an Ombudsman’s Office will be established under the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The government will provide financial support to the office, while manpower related support is to be taken care by the ACC and the RCSC.
During the discussions preceding the decision, the Opposition Leader proposed that the office be established separately and not under ACC to avoid confusions. But the house rejected his plea.
The need for an Ombudsman Office was felt by the ACC and the commission clearly stated this in its annual report 2016. The Good Governance Committee (GGC) of the National Assembly proposed the establishment of the office in the last session held in May following its review of the ACC report.
Presenting its proposal, the committee had said that the establishment of an Ombudsman’s Office will help free ACC from having to deal with complaints that are administrative in nature. This will help the commission devote its time, resources and efforts towards tackling major corruption cases.
The house had supported the GGC’s proposal and resolved that the ACC and the GGC will carry out a feasibility study.
Why Ombudsman Office?
The ACC, in its 2016 annual report, stated that in the absence of an Ombudsman Office, it remains overwhelmed with complaints relating to administrative issues. Close to 48 per cent of such complaints were referred to the concerned agencies.
The agencies are required to conduct an inquiry into the matter and report to ACC through an Action Taken Report (ATR). But the practice results in numerous complications.
Firstly, the report noted that the agencies are busy and are not able to devote the required attention to the complaint. They are also not able to address the matter on time, putting at risk the quality of enquiry.
Lack of uniformity in handling the complaints among the different agencies including actions being taken is another issue. There is also the issue of dissatisfaction among the complainants when their cases are being redirected to the very agency against which the complaint is lodged. The report states complainants prefer an independent or a third party to conduct the enquiry.
These issues are expected to be solved with the establishment of an Ombudsman’s Office as it will take care of such cases.
