"India's zero-tolerance approach for corruption also guides our approach towards...": Jitendra Singh at G20 meeting

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India]: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that India's zero-tolerance approach for corruption also guides its approach towards international cooperation for combating corruption.

While addressing the inaugural session of the G20 anti-graft ministerial meeting in Kolkata, the union minister said, "G20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial meeting is an opportunity for all of us to demonstrate the collective and strong political will to lead the global fight against corruption.”

“India’s zero-tolerance approach to corruption also guides our approach towards international cooperation in combating corruption," he said.

The union minister also recalled the 9-point agenda on fugitive economic offenders presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to G20 in 2018.

"It called for strong and active cooperation across G20 countries in legal processes and mechanisms to deny safe haven to all fugitive economic offenders, effective implementation of international commitments, establishment of international cooperation for timely and comprehensive exchange of information and formulation of a standard definition of fugitive economic offenders, development of a set of commonly agreed and standardised procedures for dealing with fugitive economic offenders by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), setting up of a common platform for sharing experiences and best practices and initiation of work on locating properties of economic for its recovery."

Lauding the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group for publishing an important G20 action paper on International Cooperation dealing with Economic Crime, Offenders and Recovery of Stolen Assets in 2020, Singh said, it underscored the commitment of G20 countries to make efforts towards the denial of safe havens and facilitate the return of such fugitives and recovery of stolen assets.

“Taking forward the momentum, G20 ACWG under India’s Presidency has been successful in building consensus on important issues related to strengthening law enforcement cooperation, information sharing and asset recovery mechanisms.

We, as the G20 need to be bold in our ambition and work together to address the lacunes in international cooperation to combat corruption. I am sure that G20 members will take concrete steps to implement these principles to enhance the effectiveness of extradition mechanisms, and to facilitate better tracking of cross-border financial flows which will deter fugitive economic offenders,” he said.

Earlier today Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the G20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial meeting in Kolkata virtually.

"India has a strict policy of zero tolerance against corruption," PM Modi said while underlining that India is leveraging technology and e-governance to create a transparent and accountable ecosystem.

PM Modi further referred to the writings of Tagore and cautioned against greed as it prevents us from realizing the truth.

He also touched upon the ancient Indian Upanishads that strive for ‘Ma Gridha,’ which translates to ‘let there be no greed’.

PM Modi further underlined that the highest impact of corruption is borne by the poor and the marginalized.

Referring to Kautilya in the Arthashastra, Modi said that it is the government's duty to enhance the State's resources to maximize the welfare of its people.

"The need to combat corruption to achieve this goal and said that it is the sacred duty of the government towards its people," he said.