The chief of Macao's anti- corruption agency has called for international and regional cooperation in preventing and suppressing corruption according to a press statement released on Tuesday by the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) of the Special Administration Region (SAR).

CCAC Commissioner Cheong U made the appeal at the 13th Steering Group Meeting of ADB (Asian Development Bank) /OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Anti- Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific held here from Monday to Tuesday.

Cheong U said that since the global financial crisis has exposed many loopholes, illegalities and injustice existed in the supervision of financial activities, bringing an enormous challenge to the work of anti-corruption in the world, it was necessary to fight corruption through international and regional cooperation.

The ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific is exactly a regional platform that promotes the cooperation among the members in corruption fighting with concrete action plans, Cheong said.

Some 70 delegates of 28 countries and regions in the Asia- Pacific region participated in the anti-corruption meeting which was hosted by the CCAC on behalf of the Macao SAR Government and co-organized by ADB and OECD.

It was the first time for so many delegates in the region to report on the progress made in the implementation of the Anti- Corruption Action Plan at such a meeting in Macao.

Cheong U said the Macao SAR Government has been striving to combat corruption and promote a clean culture in the public service since its establishment on Dec. 20, 1999, and it determined that it was necessary to legislate against corruption in the private sector.

The bill entitled "Prevention and Suppression of Bribery in the Private Sector" has already been submitted to the SAR's Legislative Assembly for examination, and it is expected that the approval of the bill will "facilitate the elevation of overall integrity of the society", according to the commissioner.

The Steering Group Meeting of ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific takes place in different countries or regions every year. Apart from the Steering Group Meeting, the delegates will also attend the 8th Regional Seminar of the ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific entitled "Good Practices in Corruption Prevention" held here on March 25 and 26.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2009)