Kosovo's Anti-Corruption Agency celebrates 20th anniversary
Kosovo's Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) held the closing ceremony of “Agency Week” on the occasion of its 20th anniversary under the motto “20 Years of Transparency and Integrity: Building Trust, Preventing Corruption.”
The Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, Yll Buleshkaj, said that the institution he leads should be more than an administrative body, emphasizing that its mission is to build citizens’ trust in public institutions.
“From the day I took responsibility for leading this institution, I have believed that the Agency should not be only an institution that administers procedures. The Agency should be an institution that creates citizens’ trust in the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. Not an institution that punishes, but one that prevents. An institution that leads by example, a modern institution with a philosophy that we have worked on throughout these years. We have accelerated digital transformation, expanded electronic services, increased transparency, and developed mechanisms for asset declaration, whistleblowing, conflict of interest, official gifts, protection of whistleblowers, and corruption risk assessment,” Buleshkaj said.
The Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo and Acting President, Albulena Haxhiu, said that corruption constantly changes its form, therefore the fight against it must be continuous in order to protect citizens’ trust in state institutions.
“Twenty years are evidence of the maturity of an institution, but when the mission is the protection of the public interest, every year is a test in itself. Because corruption never stops; it changes form, seeks new ways, and tries to penetrate where institutions become weaker and where vigilance fades,” Haxhiu said.
According to her, corruption steals trust and justice.
