Doha, Qatar: Representatives of international government bodies and civil society organisations said combating corruption is a fundamental condition for economic growth and national recovery.
The remarks came during a session on building coalitions to fight corruption and advance reforms in Asia and the Pacific, held as part of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, hosted in Doha from December 15 to 19.
Yao Deng, legal counsel in the International Monetary Fund IMF’s governance and anti-corruption division, said corruption’s impact is “deep and direct,” particularly on small businesses. It undermines domestic revenue mobilization, distorts public spending, weakens institutions, and ultimately limits growth.
She explained that the IMF adopted a governance framework in 2018 to guide its work in this area, strengthening efforts across three pillars: economic surveillance, lending, and preventive development. These efforts laid the foundation for a preventive governance diagnostic tool, designed to assess vulnerabilities and provide prioritized recommendations.
Deng highlighted case studies including Sri Lanka, which in 2023 completed Asia’s first comprehensive governance diagnostic under an IMF-supported programme. The study found that integrated governance reforms could boost GDP by more than 7 percent, linking governance improvements directly to economic recovery.
