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MND vows to gradually make defense budget more transparent

ROC Central News Agency

2013/01/29 20:00:14

Taipei, Jan. 29 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) pledged Tuesday to gradually reduce the secret portion of its budget to enhance transparency and prevent corruption in the military after its classified spending was criticized by a global anti-corruption group.

In a global survey on the risk of corruption in the defense sector released Tuesday, Transparency International (TI) said Taiwan's secret defense budget was 8 percent of total military spending, a figure that TI executive Mark Pyman called "quite high."

The ministry responded that the ratio has been lowered to about 5 percent from last year's 8.25 percent, but it agreed that "there is still room for improvement and we are determined to further lower the ratio steadily," the ministry said in a statement.

TI, a Berlin-headquartered watchdog body dedicated to promoting corruption-free government and daily lives, presented the results of its latest global index on defense sector integrity at a news conference held in Taipei earlier Tuesday.

Taiwan, included in the survey for the first time, was ranked among the seven countries considered to have a low risk of corruption in the defense establishment.

The survey, known as the government defense anti-corruption index (GDAI), covered 82 countries and looked at the strength of anti-corruption measures in place.

Australia and Germany were ranked at the top of the six-tier index, followed by seven countries -- Taiwan, Austria, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States -- in "Band B."

China was grouped in "Band D" and the bottom tier, or "Band F," was made up of mostly African countries, including Angola and Cameroon.

Deputy Defense Minister Andrew Yang said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that Taiwan's ranking in the top 10 percent of the countries evaluated reflected international recognition of the government's efforts to combat corruption in the defense sector.

"It's an achievement of the joint effort of various government agencies and will help upgrade our national competitiveness and win more public trust," Yang said.

Meanwhile, the TI report also observed that Taiwan's promotions system has been criticized in the past for being influenced by political and personal preferences.

But military spokesman Maj. Gen. Luo Shou-he said the military has always followed the principle of openness, impartiality and fairness in personnel recruitment and promotion.

On TI's suggestions that civil groups should be given a say in defense policy formulation, Luo said the ministry will invite TI and other watchdog bodies to attend its public hearings and symposiums to offer recommendations.

(By Rogge Chen and Sofia Wu)