CENTRAL ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU always in the interest of Poland CBA International Conference - News

The conference initiated a discussion on solutions to eliminate current weaknesses in the area of asset declarations. The event brought together a wide range of experts from Poland and other countries, providing a ground for the exchange of best international practices. It was also an opportunity to learn about the perspective of civil society represented by non-governmental organisations focused on anti-corruption issues.

Welcoming the invited guests, Minister Agnieszka Kwiatkowska-Gurdak said:

- The Central Anti-Corruption Bureau has been controlling the correctness and truthfulness of asset declarations for 18 years now. With so much experience in this area, we see the need for specific changes in the system of filing declarations. In Poland, the provisions on the submission of asset declarations are scattered across dozens of laws and are often inaccurate or inconsistent. There are more than a dozen different models for asset declaration forms. It is estimated that more than 500 000 people in Poland are obliged to make asset declarations, so the creation of a uniform, well-ordered, citizen-friendly system is a matter of considerable importance, particularly in view of the important preventive function of this tool.

In a letter addressed to the Head of the CBA, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Affairs, Mr Krzysztof Gawkowski, emphasised the importance of introducing legal regulations allowing the digitisation of the entire procedure from the submission of the document to its collection while maintaining the cyber security of the system and data.

The conference raised key issues concerning the role of asset declarations in the transparency of public life. Foreign experts presented solutions functioning in their countries, while representatives of Polish public institutions and non-governmental organisations emphasised the need to introduce a uniform template for asset declarations submitted electronically.

At the invitation of the host of the conference Head of the CBA, Minister Agnieszka Kwiatkowska-Gurdak, the conference was attended by:

Head of the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) Brig. Gen. Jarosław Stróżyk,

Head of the Internal Security Agency (ABW) Col. Rafał Syrysko,

Deputy Prosecutor General Prosecutor Jacek Bilewicz,

Adviser to the Head of the National Security Bureau (BBN) Col. Lech Wojciechowski,

Deputy President of the National Health Fund (NFZ) Miłosz Anczakowski,

President of the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) Jarosław Melnarowicz, PhD

and representatives of, among others: Chancellery of the Senate, Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Ministry of Digital Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Government Legislation Centre, General Inspector of Financial Information of Statistics Poland, ABW, AW, SKW, SWW, CBZC, CBŚP, KAS, Central Board of Prison Service, the Cyberspace Defence Forces Command, the Military Police, the Centre for Information Technology, Research and Academic Computer Network - National Research Institute NASK, representatives of local government; the Union of Polish Counties, The Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland, The Office of the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, and representatives of non-governmental organisations; the Stefan Batory Foundation, Citizens Network Watchdog Poland, and the Foundation Institute of Public Affairs.

Foreign institutions were represented by the representatives of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD, Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative RAI, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Lithuania STT, Lithuanian State Tax Inspectorate STI, Romanian National Integrity Agency ANI, Ministry of Justice of Estonia, Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, Moldovan Office of Professional Ethics, National Agency on Corruption Prevention of Ukraine, Ukrainian Asset Recovery and Management Agency ARMA, Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau of Latvia KNAB and Hungarian Integrity Authority.

We would like to thank everyone for their participation and contribution to building a transparent State. Working together makes it possible to achieve more!