In order to promote the value of anti-corruption, continue deepening 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 to the public, the Ministry of Finance held the 2022 “Integrity of Production Sector and Officials for Fortune and Common Benefits” on October 5, 2022, inviting the Ministry of Justice to participate therein, to build a partnership against corruption.

The forum kicked off with speeches addressed by Tsai Pi-chung, Deputy Director of Political Affairs of the Ministry of Justice, and Chuang Tsui-yun, Deputy Director of Political Affairs of the Ministry of Finance, followed by keynote speeches delivered by Chang Chia-yu, Legal and IT Director of Uniqlo Taiwan Ltd., Professor Lo Kuang-ta from the Finance Department of National Chengchi University, and Chen Jui-wu, Auditor of the North District Internal Revenue Bureau of the Ministry of Finance on issues such as “Enterprise Integrity Governance,” “Tobacco Tax,” and “Tax Transparency and Policy for Streamlining Administration and Provide Convenience to the Public”, respectively.

Tsai Pi-chung, Deputy Director of Political Affairs of the Ministry of Justice pointed out that thanks to the joint efforts of the public sector and the private sector, Taiwan ranked the 25th in the world in the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which is its 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. It provides consulting services on legal compliance issues such as “difference between unlawful profit seeking and convenience for the public” which are of concern to enterprises. Additionally, 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 through a cross-area network, creating a “clean and competent” and high-quality investment environment. This will promote the sustainable development of the country and enterprises, and enhance the positive evaluation of Taiwan's integrity degree.

In the speech, Chuang Tsui-yun, Deputy Director of Political Affairs of the Ministry of Finance, stated that only by complying with the law can an enterprise continue to operate sustainably. To reward operators for honestly issuing uniform invoices and actively using electronic invoices, the Ministry of Finance has set up the “Excellent Business Owner Award”, to reward those who do not miss any uniform invoices, and do not have any regulation violations, tax arrears,violations against environmental protection, labor, food and safety laws and other violation records within two years. All of the award-winning business owners have made considerable contributions to the national tax revenue and economic development, whom are looked to for the continuous fulfillment of social responsibility.

Subsequently, a panel discussion was presided over by Li Ching-hua, Executive Deputy Director of the Ministry of Finance, with Shen Feng-liang, Deputy Director-General of the Agency Against Corruption of the Ministry of Justice, Hung Ming-hsien, President of the Tax-accountancy Association Union, R.O.C, Lai Huan-tsung, Vice President of Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation, Yeh Yi-chang, Vice President of Transparency International Taiwan, Professor Lo Kuang-ta from the Finance Department of National Chengchi University and other representatives from both the public sector and the private sector being invited, who engaged in cross-area discussions and exchanges from different perspectives on issues such as shaping corporate law compliance culture and introducing the measures to streamline administration, facilitate the people provide convenience to the public, and promote a good tax environment with coordination between the public sector and the private sector.

At the meeting, Shen Feng-liang, Deputy Director-General of the Agency Against Corruption of the Ministry of Justice, stated that the “Integrity Platform for Enterprise Services” has, based on the spirit and successful experience of the “Government Procurement Integrity Platform,” established an exchange and interactive mechanism of cross-area coordination between the public sector and the private sector to provide quality services to enterprises. The goals is to achieve streamlining administration and facilitating the people, enterprise integrity, public-private coordination and sustainable development. This will be accomplished through distinctive consulting for unlawful profit seeking and convenience for the public, guidelines for legal compliance and integrity, enterprise integrity exchange forums, sharing of benchmark enterprise practices, measures for streamlining administration and facilitating the people, special-zone services on websites and web pages 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 purpose of creating a “clean and competent” environment, so as to achieve a win-win situation for the sustainable development of Taiwan and enterprises.