Responses to the G20 Survey for the Good Practices Compendium on Combating Corruption in the Response to COVID-19 SUMMARY: This document contains the verbatim country responses received to the survey for the Good Practices Compendium on Combating Corruption in the Response to COVID-19 circulated during the 2020 Saudi G20 Presidency. CONTENTS Argentina ......................................................................................................................... 1 Australia .......................................................................................................................... 8 Brazil ............................................................................................................................... 30 Canada ........................................................................................................................... 45 China ............................................................................................................................... 56 Questionnaire for the members of the G20 ACWG ....................................... 56 France ............................................................................................................................. 64 Germany ........................................................................................................................ 74 India ................................................................................................................................ 82 Indonesia ....................................................................................................................... 98 Italy ................................................................................................................................. 117 Japan ............................................................................................................................. 141 Jordan .......................................................................................................................... 144 Korea .............................................................................................................................. 155 Mexico .......................................................................................................................... 167 Russia: .......................................................................................................................... 188 Saudi Arabia ................................................................................................................ 195 South Africa................................................................................................................ 205 Spain .............................................................................................................................. 219 Switzerland................................................................................................................. 229 Turkey: ......................................................................................................................... 236 UK .................................................................................................................................... 251 USA ................................................................................................................................ 263 ARGENTINA Questionnaire for the members of the G20 ACWG A. Corruption Risks during the COVID-19 Pandemic 1. Has your government assessed domestic or transnational corruption risks arising during the COVID-19 pandemic, either through a formal risk assessment or other informal means? If yes, please provide a summary of this assessment, or key findings (your answer may include websites or sharing relevant documents such as anti-corruption plans to mitigate corruption risks arising in connection with the COVID-19 crisis). N/A 2. Has your government undertaken any previous corruption risk assessment which is relevant to activities being conducted, or risks present in the current pandemic situation or other emergency scenarios (e.g. an assessment of corruption risks in the healthcare sector which existed beforehand, assessment on emergency procurement processes, etc.)? If yes, please provide a summary of this assessment, or key findings (your answer may include websites or sharing relevant documents). N/A. 3. Please outline the top 3–5 corruption risks your country has identified (both short and longer term) arising in connection with the COVID-19 crisis. Where possible, please indicate whether these risks were present and/or high prior to the onset of the pandemic. When outlining risks, you may consider the following (non-exhaustive) list: • Corruption and fraud risks in public procurement of medicines, medical supplies or any related goods or services (this may include price gouging, bribery, self-dealing, and any other risks occurring specifically as a result of public procurement rules allowing for expedited delivery of goods/services during the pandemic). • Corruption risks in other non-health related sectors (e.g. those with increased interaction with state owned or state controlled enterprises or key for recovery, food supply chains, transport, information and communication sectors). 1 • Bribery of healthcare workers or public officials in order to be prioritized for testing or for the provision of other healthcare services during the pandemic. • Misdirection or exploitation of government funds or other assets (e.g. PPE, ventilation equipment). • Fraudulent billing to the government or insurance companies for the provision of healthcare services. • Undue influence and conflicts of interest in healthcare provision and regulation (including drug development and market entry), policy- setting and evaluation. • Provision of counterfeit medical supplies and / or medication. • Use of relief supplies by criminal gangs and organizations to coerce, intimidate and/or co-opt local communities, undermine government support, and fund illegal activity. • Increases in COVID-19 related cyber-criminal fraud. • Impeded anti-corruption enforcement actions due to the COVID-19 crisis. • Impeded provision of international cooperation (e.g. mutual legal assistance) due to the COVID-19 crisis. • Exploiting the disbursement of national economic relief/rescue/stimulus packages, including: – Officials soliciting bribes to influence the disbursement of stimulus or relief funds to specific businesses or individuals. – Officials being offered, promised or given bribes to influence the disbursement of stimulus or relief funds to specific businesses or individuals. – Sexploitation (including sexual exploitation and sextortion) and abuse of vulnerable or marginalized communities in exchange for financial or in-kind support as part of economic/social support services. – Schemes such as creating false or non-existent beneficiaries to embezzle stimulus / relief funds. • Exploiting international financial aid related to COVID-19 or other types of support. • Corruption risks in regular private and public sector activities as a result of increased working from home, where fewer anti-corruption checks and controls are in operation. N/A 2 4. If possible, please provide examples of detected or suspected instances of domestic or transnational corruption or fraud, in line with the key risk areas mentioned in question 3. Please include a summary of the detected or suspected act, and how it was detected. Where such information is sensitive, please provide examples of the type of incident which has occurred. N/A 5. Are any longer-term trends in corruption risks beginning to emerge as a result of COVID-19 in your country that will need a new or improved anti- corruption approach in the future? Please elaborate on these trends, and the new or improved anti-corruption approach if possible. The assessment of the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures during the coronavirus pandemic has not been evaluated as of yet. Such assessment on the detection and investigation of anti corruption offences, including the impact of the facilitated procedure of public procurement will be conducted ex post by the competent national authorities. B. Anti-Corruption Controls during the Pandemic 6. What are the anti-corruption controls, safeguards, and measures that your government has put in place to address corruption risks identified in section (A)? Please highlight any special measures or procedures that have been introduced during the pandemic (e.g. telephone hotlines to report corruption in the allocation and disbursement of crisis response funds, an interagency cooperation taskforce among anti-corruption authorities, cooperation across international borders, ex-post facto audits of crisis related spending, publishing the beneficial ownership information of companies awarded public contracts, etc.)? N/A 7. Does your government have any specific legislative / governance procedures in place to allow for timely public procurement in emergency situations? If so, please describe these briefly below. If not, how is emergency public procurement during the Coronavirus pandemic taking place / how did it take place and what anti-corruption measures were adopted? 3 The following legislation includes the legal framework for the public procurement process of the entire National Public Administration on a regular basis. - Law N° 25.188 on Public Ethics, and its modifications in Law N° 26.857. - Decree 41/99 Code of Ethics in Public Function - Decree 1023/01