The Ministry of Justice and Administration has said on International Anti-Corruption Day, December 9, that in its efforts to combat that harmful phenomenon it will work on strengthening the competent bodies and educating all segments of government and society about how to strengthen the rule of law.

A new anti-corruption national strategy is being prepared for the period from 2021 to 2030 which, sources at the ministry said, is geared towards prevention and in particular towards strengthening the institutional framework for the fight against corruption, raising public awareness of the harmfulness of corruption, strengthening the transparency of public administration and advancing the integrity system.

“With continual implementation and upgrading existing anti-corruption measures, our aim is to define new, systematic solutions to combat corruption at all levels, which should raise awareness of the harmfulness of corruption and render it socially unacceptable,” the ministry said in a press release.

The ministry has the main coordinating role in the fight against corruption and is part of a mechanism for the strategic implementation of anti-corruption policies that are created by the parliament and government.

The ministry said that in the coming period it would resolutely continue the fight against corruption and strengthen all bodies participating in that process as well as encouraging the education of all segments of government and society in an effort to step up the rule of law and the fight against corruption.

The fight against corruption involves the USKOK anti-corruption agency and the PNUSKOK police agency as well as special departments at the county courts in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and Osijek, the ministry said.

Steps have been made in prevention and the legislative framework to combat corruption, the ministry underlined.

According to the ministry’s data, almost 90% of the action plan for the fight against corruption has been implemented. In addition, several laws and documents have been adopted with the aim of enhancing the competencies of public offices and improving existing anti-corruption standards.