The Department for International Development and the Home Office have published the UK’s anti-corruption strategy for 2017- 2022. It is predicated on six priorities, which include strengthening the integrity of the UK as an international financial centre and reducing corruption in public procurement and grants. Initiatives will include:
- greater transparency over ownership and control of legal entities, including establishing a new register of beneficial ownership in overseas legal entities, for information that must be provided when those entities own or purchase property in the UK or participate in central government contracts
- even stronger AML and CFT capability
- appointing a new Home Office Minister for Economic Crime and moving the Joint Anti-Corruption Unit to the Home Office
- reopening the debate on extending corporate criminal liability to wider economic crimes
- generally continuing to embed the standards of global and local financial crime prevention laws as widely as possible, with increased supervisory focus and powers.
The paper says that companies impacted by bribery scandals have used them as an opportunity to drive a new culture of integrity.