𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬

…𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

By Yeshi Dolma

In the Fourth Session of the Fourth Parliament, the nation confronted a stark reality: corruption remains a persistent obstacle, quietly undermining public trust, governance, and socio-economic resilience. The National Council’s Good Governance Committee (GGC) presented its Review Report on the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) Annual Report for 2024–2025, exposing both progress in anti-corruption measures and enduring vulnerabilities across public and private institutions. The report, released on December 4, 2025, provides a comprehensive assessment of corruption trends, institutional performance, and the nation’s evolving approach to integrity, digital governance, and preventive systems.

The ACC received more than 360 corruption reports during the 2024–2025 fiscal year, averaging over 30 reports per month. This represents an increase from the previous year’s 322 cases, signaling a rising trend in public vigilance or, perhaps, a reflection of deeper systemic weaknesses. Of the total reports, over 200 came from identifiable sources, while 160 were submitted anonymously. Digital channels dominated reporting, with the ACC website accounting for more than 160 submissions, followed by around 100 walk-ins. This shift toward online reporting underlines both the growing accessibility of digital platforms and the persistent concerns among whistleblowers about personal safety and retaliation.

According to MP Kencho Tshering, Chairperson of the Good Governance Committee, “Out of the 364 corruption reports received during the reporting year, 196 were closed with no further action. Out of the remaining 168 reports, 39 qualified for investigation, 29 were shared for administrative action, nine for administrative inquiry, 73 for sensitization, and 18 for information enrichment.”

Finance, procurement, and public property emerged as the sectors most vulnerable to misconduct, with close to 60 finance-related reports, over 30 in procurement and contracts, and nearly 25 concerning public property. Conversely, sectors such as sports and elections reported few or no complaints.

Institutionally, ministries received the highest number of reports, with more than 45 cases, followed by gewog administrations at around 30 and the private sector at over 20. When categorized by offence, abuse of function was the most reported, with 86 cases, followed by embezzlement at 32 and bribery at 18. Geographically, Thimphu emerged as the corruption hotspot, whereas Gasa and Pema Gatshel reported no incidents.

Enforcement remains a critical pillar of the ACC’s strategy. During the reporting year, the commission handled nearly 40 newly opened investigations and over 20 carried forward from previous years. Of these, around 40 cases were concluded, with 25 forwarded for prosecution. Restitution efforts yielded over Nu 57 million and almost half an acre of land. Overall, 485 individuals were implicated in corruption offenses, with private employees constituting the largest share at close to 350, followed by 40 civil servants. By agency, the private sector accounted for approximately 365 offenders.

Despite the nation’s improved international standing on the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), domestic perceptions tell a different story. On December 2, 2025, MP Jamyang Namgyal of Pemagatshel questioned the sudden rise in the CPI score from 68 to 72 in 2024, moving the nation from 24th to 18th place globally. He highlighted that the ACC report attributes this improvement to performance in “vulnerable sectors” but fails to identify which sectors or provide supporting evidence.

The MP emphasized the need for transparency, asking, “How do we reconcile a higher international score when many citizens feel corruption is worsening? On what basis is the Committee confident in this improved CPI ranking when local perception tells a different story?”

He also noted the absence of national data from the 2017 Population and Housing Census, which included a corruption perception question, and questioned why such critical information had never been released.
The ACC’s annual report represents the conclusion of the Third Commission’s five-year tenure, a period marked by global uncertainty and resource constraints. During this time, the Commission sought to strengthen the national integrity system through digital governance, capacity-building initiatives, and cross-sector collaboration. Its RED Capacity Mission-Role, Enforcement, Deterrence, and Capacity-guided efforts to enhance accountability, enforce anti-corruption measures, and maintain institutional competence.

Internationally, these efforts have shown measurable impact. The nation’s CPI ranking improved significantly, and national assessments such as the National Integrity Assessment reflect gains in organizational compliance, particularly in asset declaration. Since 2022, the Integrity Vetting System has processed over 24,000 reports, demonstrating both public engagement and institutional diligence. State-owned enterprises also improved governance, with average integrity scores reaching 81.3 percent, and the introduction of Debarment Rules in 2023 added new mechanisms for accountability. Civil society organizations, however, showed a decline in compliance, reflecting challenges in enforcing ethical standards across decentralized and voluntary institutions.

Education and public advocacy were central to the ACC’s strategy. Campaigns targeted a broad demographic, from children as young as two to tertiary students and out-of-school youth, reinforcing principles of honesty, responsibility, and accountability. The ACC’s outreach included structured curricula, training manuals, and interactive workshops designed to instill ethical behavior from an early age.

Despite these measures, enforcement metrics reveal enduring challenges. Men submitted 88.5 percent of known complaints, while women accounted for only 11.5 percent, highlighting structural barriers to female participation in governance oversight. Nearly 44 percent of reports were anonymous, underlining persistent fears of retaliation. Patterns of misconduct were entrenched, with abuse of function dominating actionable cases, followed by embezzlement and bribery. Ministries and local government administrations were consistently implicated, and civil servants were the most frequently reported professionals.

The ACC’s investigative processes have become more proactive and intelligence-driven. Over the past five years, the Commission completed nearly 200 investigations, improved case timelines, and achieved a clearance rate exceeding 60 percent in the 2024–2025 fiscal year. It conducted 60 search operations, detained 54 individuals, and pursued restitution totaling nearly Nu 4 billion since 2006, with conviction rates consistently above 80 percent. The introduction of the TRUST (Tripartite Realtime Update Sharing Terminal) system has enhanced coordination with the Office of the Attorney General and the Royal Audit Authority, facilitating real-time information exchange and rapid investigative responses. Amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act have strengthened legal tools, criminalized witness bribery, and improved asset seizure mechanisms.

Prevention has emerged as a major focus, leveraging technology and foresight-driven strategies. The Agency Integrity Maturity Score framework evaluates institutional vulnerabilities and informs targeted interventions in high-risk sectors, including tourism, timber extraction, and infrastructure development. The private sector has been included in integrity programs through initiatives like DAMTSI-BIZ, promoting ethical business practices aligned with international standards such as ISO 37001 anti-bribery certification.

Partnerships with industry associations have provided training in procurement ethics, particularly in sectors highly susceptible to corruption. Civil society and media organizations have undergone accountability and vulnerability assessments to strengthen governance practices and professional ethics.
Asset declaration and integrity vetting mechanisms have been pivotal preventive tools. Nearly 26,200 public officials submitted asset declarations in the reporting period, with 99.8 percent compliance. Verification processes identified potential conflicts of interest or disproportionate assets, prompting appropriate investigations. Integrity vetting ensures that individuals entering public service or assuming new responsibilities adhere to ethical standards, reinforcing meritocratic principles.

Nevertheless, corruption is becoming increasingly normalized. Public perception surveys indicate that nearly 40 percent of citizens consider corrupt practices a part of everyday life. Gift-giving and informal networks remain culturally ingrained, and a significant proportion of youth admitted to engaging in dishonest behavior perceived as harmless, signaling intergenerational transmission of unethical norms. Weak enforcement, limited ethical leadership, and a constrained investigative media landscape further perpetuate the perception that corruption is low-risk and high-reward.

Law enforcement agencies are particularly vulnerable. Customs, immigration, revenue, and forestry officers, wielding wide discretionary authority but receiving relatively low remuneration, accounted for over 10 percent of investigated cases and 27 percent of audited irregularities. The Good Governance Committee highlighted the need for integrity-based staffing, lifestyle audits, systematic job rotation, and specialized capacity building to mitigate these risks.
Staff retention at the ACC poses additional challenges. High attrition among mid- and senior-level professionals threatens continuity and operational effectiveness. While retention allowances have been introduced, nearly half of current staff possess less than two years of experience, raising concerns about sustaining the Commission’s achievements and meeting heightened public expectations.

The Fourth Session of the Fourth Parliament saw lawmakers endorse a series of recommendations aimed at addressing systemic corruption. The House approved all ACC recommendations, emphasizing stricter sentencing, particularly for senior officials, strengthening integrity mechanisms, institutionalizing preventive systems through mandatory use of the Automated Integrity Management System, and promoting ethical leadership across public institutions. The Good Governance Committee recommended the establishment of a single, secure, end-to-end digital government platform to mandate e-payments, e-procurement, automated approvals, and integrated human resource systems. This initiative is designed to eliminate discretionary power, provide full audit trails, and enhance transparency and accountability across all agencies.

Education and cultural transformation remain critical. The Committee called for embedding ethics, integrity, and anti-corruption principles across national curricula and public service frameworks, fostering a lifelong culture of accountability from early education through professional life. Lawmakers emphasized rural accessibility to digital systems through the BICMA universal service fund and urged that agencies begin immediate implementation of the endorsed recommendations, with progress reports to be presented in the next parliamentary session.

Members of Parliament raised additional concerns, including the need for specialized expertise in procurement, improved clarity in job descriptions, and stronger internal controls to prevent lapses in governance. MP Tashi Tenzin of Radhi-Sakteng highlighted the importance of understanding operational challenges on the ground, noting that service delivery is often hindered by limited human resources, unclear procedures, and inadequate regulations. MP Kuenga of Nyisho-Sephu called for accountability mechanisms to track the implementation of past recommendations, ensuring that institutional reforms translate into practical outcomes.

Finance Minister Lekey Dorji expressed the ministry’s support for the Committee’s recommendations, including associated budget allocations. Education Minister Yeezang De Thapa announced that the Ministry of Education and Skills Development will adopt the EMIS digital system for school admissions from 2026, ensuring fair and transparent processes and curbing opportunities for corruption.

Corruption trends identified in the ACC’s report highlight systemic vulnerabilities. Abuse of function accounted for more than half of actionable cases, indicating persistent misuse of authority despite an overall decline in reports. Thimphu remains the epicenter of corruption, with ministries and local administrations consistently cited as major offenders. Over the last five years, only 10.4 percent of reports qualified for investigation, most involving civil servants.
The ACC and the Good Governance Committee agree that digital governance is indispensable for addressing systemic risks. The proposed digital platform aims to integrate financial management, procurement, approvals, and personnel administration, minimizing human discretion and enhancing traceability. As Chairperson Namgay Dorji emphasized, “Digitisation is a governance imperative of the 21st century. Only a fully digital government can eliminate discretionary power, close systemic loopholes, and restore public trust.”

The Committee’s report highlights the importance of education and cultural transformation in complementing technological and legal reforms. By embedding ethics, integrity, and anti-corruption principles across national education and professional frameworks, the nation can foster a culture of accountability that counters the normalization of corrupt practices. Speakers and MPs collectively stressed that integrity must be taught, practiced, and enforced, transforming ethical governance from aspiration into a national habit.

Looking ahead, the nation stands at a pivotal juncture. While the ACC has demonstrated progress in advancing national integrity, strengthening preventive and enforcement mechanisms, and leveraging technology, challenges remain. Corruption is increasingly subtle and embedded, requiring a coordinated response that integrates legal frameworks, digital systems, ethical education, and cultural change. Sustaining gains will also demand strategic investment in human capital, institutional capacity, and specialized expertise, particularly in high-risk sectors such as finance, procurement, and law enforcement.

The Fourth Session of the Fourth Parliament reflected the urgency of these reforms, with lawmakers mandating immediate action on the ACC and Committee recommendations. The emphasis on digital governance, stricter sentencing, preventive mechanisms, and ethics education signals a concerted effort to transform integrity from a policy goal into a lived national standard. Public trust, social cohesion, and economic resilience depend on the nation’s ability to enforce these reforms effectively and consistently.

Ultimately, the fight against corruption is both a technical and cultural challenge. While digital systems, legal reforms, and enforcement measures provide essential tools, lasting impact depends on societal buy-in, ethical leadership, and intergenerational education. The ACC’s Annual Report for 2024-2025, as reviewed by the Good Governance Committee, illustrates the delicate balance between institutional progress and systemic vulnerability, reminding the nation that integrity must remain a continuous priority rather than a temporary focus. In a world where public trust underpins development and governance, the nation’s success in combating corruption will define not only its institutional legitimacy but also its long-term socio-economic trajectory.