In order to promote the value of anti-corruption, continue to deepen exchanges between the public sector and the private sector, highlight the importance attached to corporate integrity and the awareness of law compliance, and actively enhance administrative efficiency and transparency measures to streamline administration and provide convenience for the public, the Ministry of Finance held the “Seminar on Ethical Governance of Corporate Law Compliance by Customs Partners” on October 26, 2022, to implement the great importance attached by the “United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)” to the private sector for fighting corruption, the cross-domain cooperation between the public sector and the private sector, and the establishment of an anti-corruption partnership.

The seminar kicked off with speeches addressed by Li Ching-hua, Executive Deputy Director of the Ministry of Finance, and Lin Chin-tsun, Executive Deputy Director of the Ministry of Finance, followed by keynote speeches delivered by Chen Chun-ming, Director of  Transparency International Taiwan, Hung Chun-sheng, Manager of Evergreen Marine Corp, and Chao Tai-an, Deputy Director of Taichung Customs, Customs Administration of the Ministry of Finance, on topics such as “Clean and Easy Customs, Enterprises Integrity,” “Integrity-based Sustainable Enterprises” and “Introduction of New Technologies to Build Modern Customs.”

According to Li Ching-hua, Executive Deputy Director of the Ministry of Finance, “Integrity is the foundation of business and a key to business” and thus the implementation of integrity governance and compliance by enterprises will enhance the competitiveness of both a country and its enterprises. Thanks to the joint efforts of the public sector and the private sector, Taiwan ranked 25th in the world in the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which is our best performance ever. This year, the Ministry of Justice has requested the Agency Against Corruption to launch a pilot program called the “Integrity Platform for Enterprise Services,” where the government takes “clean and competent” measures to streamline administration, facilitate the people, and improve administrative transparency, provides consulting services on legal compliance issues, such as “difference between unlawful profit seeking and convenience for the public” which are significant concerns for enterprises. At the same time, it advocates that enterprises should strengthen ethical governance and compliance with laws, continue to build joint efforts between the public sector and the private sector in a cross-domain network, so as to create a “clean and competent” and high-quality investment environment, promote the sustainable development of  the country and enterprises, and enhance the positive evaluation of Taiwan's integrity degree.

Li Ching-hua, Executive Deputy Director of the Ministry of Finance, said in his speech that people's cross-border consumption has increased in recent years. Since September 2018, the Customs has implemented the online appointment with “EZ WAY,” a real-name authentication APP, which allows people to view information on the express simple declaration form imported by customs agents in their name, so as to simplify the procedures for customs declaration. Besides, only by complying with the law can an enterprise continue to operate sustainably. The Customs Administration continues to promote the certification system for excellent enterprises, and offers preferential measures to enterprises that comply with customs regulations, have good business records and have a sound financial system, so as to improve their competitiveness and enable them to fulfill their social responsibility.

Subsequently, a panel discussion was presided over by Peng Yingwei, Director-General of the Customs Administration of the Ministry of Finance, with Shen Feng-liang, Deputy Director-General of the Agency Against Corruption of the Ministry of Justice, Hung Chun-sheng, Manager of Evergreen Marine Corp, Hsu Yi-hua, Manager of United Parcel Service of America, Inc., Chen Chun-ming, Director of the Transparency International Taiwan and other representatives from both the public sector and the private sector being invited, who engaged in cross-domain discussions and exchanges from different perspectives on issues such as shaping corporate law compliance culture and introducing an excellent customs environment with coordination between the public sector and the private sector.

Shen Feng-liang, Deputy Director-General of the Agency Against Corruption of the Ministry of Justice, stated at the meeting that in the face of the business community's doubts about whether the administration of the public sector should be profit-oriented or aim at more convenience for the people, as well as the outside world's expectations for the government to improve administrative efficiency and promote industrial upgrading, the Ministry of Justice has promoted the “Integrity Platform for Enterprise Services,” established an exchange and interactive mechanism of cross-domain coordination between the public sector and the private sector to provide quality services to enterprises. It is hoped that the goals of streamlining administration and facilitating the people, enterprise integrity, public-private coordination and sustainable development can be achieved through distinctive consulting for unlawful profit seeking and convenience for the public, guidelines for legal compliance and integrity, enterprise integrity exchange forums, sharing practices of benchmark enterprise practices, measures for streamlining administration and providing convenience to the public, services from the official websites and other services.

This event demonstrates the strength of integrating the industry, the government and the academia, with the establishment of a public-private partnership to build strength and consensus. In the future, the Agency Against Corruption will continue to work together with various competent authorities to promote the anti-corruption work for the “clean and competent” purpose, so as to achieve a win-win situation for the sustainable development of Taiwan and enterprises.