RIYADH: A high committee has begun work on drawing up regulations and legislation to set up the National Commission to Combat Corruption (NCCC), sources have told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. The committee consists of members from the Cabinet's Experts Commission, the General Auditing Bureau and the Institute of Public Administration, and has started to study work procedures for the NCCC and its basic functions and jurisdiction to ensure its duties do not conflict with other auditing bodies. The sources said that the NCCC will be administratively and financially independent from the ministries of Civil Affairs and Finance and will answer directly to the Cabinet. The Cabinet approved in February 2007 a national strategy to “protect transparency and fight corruption of all forms and protect Saudi society from corruption”, with further approval for a national committee to combat corruption to oversee its implementation, evaluate its progress, and draw up programs and procedures for its introduction. The move seeks to ensure that government bodies relevant to the protection of transparency and combating corruption “practice in accordance with their jurisdictions and implement regulations related to it, and work on the principle of accountability for every official whatever his position, in accordance with regulations”.
