National Anti Corruption Commission struggles to operate without...

3^min

Lebanon's National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has been identified as one of the necessary reforms in the country. Recently, its six members took an oath in front of the President of the republic, and they are entitled to receive salaries equivalent to those of the Constitutional Council members.

The NACC has also received material assistance from international entities to renovate the old building, which was previously occupied by the Culture Ministry, at a cost of around half a billion Lebanese pounds annually.

The NACC has extensive powers and is responsible for disclosing the financial disclosures of employees, heads of state, MPs, and ministers, punishing illicit enrichment, recovering funds obtained through corruption, protecting whistle-blowers, preserving the right to access information, supporting transparency in the petroleum sector, combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and exchanging information for investigative purposes.

Additionally, it has the authority to lift bank secrecy without passing through the special investigation body at the Lebanese central bank.

Despite its vast powers, the NACC is practically paralyzed because of the lack of internal regulations and financial systems to hold recruitment processes and start working.

The internal and financial systems were sent to the State Council ten months ago, but they have yet to be approved.

However, sources at the State Council confirmed to LBCI that the council had requested the NACC to obtain the opinion of the Civil Service Council and the Finance Ministry.

But the NACC was only able to obtain the approval of the Civil Service Council and failed to get an opinion from the Finance Ministry, stating that it was unable to obtain one.

As a result, the State Council directly contacted the Finance Ministry to hasten the matter's resolution.

The NACC's inefficiency is compounded by its lack of employees. The question remains whether the NACC intends to fight corruption, money laundering, protect whistle-blowers, safeguard the right to access information, and lift bank secrecy or if its powers will remain on paper like previous reform and anti-corruption measures in the country.