The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) has received two-year project funding from the US government’s development agency USAID to help in the fight against transnational maritime sector corruption.
These funds are part of USAID’s ‘Doing Business with Integrity’ activity and the collaboration will be part of its ‘Countering Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge for Development’.
This initiative is also supported by match funding from private companies such as Maersk Line, Maersk, Lauritzen Foundation, DS Norden, Hafnia, Odfjell, JM Baxi, the Institute of Export Operations and Management in Nigeria, as well as members of the MACN Advisory Committee in India.
Through this backing, MACN and its implementing partners Eldib Pandi and the Convention on Business Integrity, will dramatically increase the number of companies and vessels using MACN’s HelpDesk and engage in dialogue with governments to address the root causes of maritime sector corruption.
The HelpDesk is the only global mechanism providing the maritime industry with a real-time escalation and resolution channel for port corruption incidents. Over 3,000 vessels have utilised it to date, with over 200 cases escalated due to bribery attempts. According to MACN, some 99% of these cases have been resolved without any bribery payments.
HelpDesk access will be expanded during the project in India, Egypt, and Nigeria. The project will be implemented beyond the major international hubs such as Mumbai, Chennai, Lagos, and the Suez Canal to engage more local companies and activities. Coverage will be expanded into 12 major ports in India, the major port cities in Egypt like Alexandria and Port Saïd as well as Calabar and Port Harcourt in Nigeria.
It is estimated the expand the solution to more than 200 vessels in Nigeria, 1,600 vessels in India, and 180 vessels in Egypt, helping companies and their local supply chain partners resolve corruption attempts with the assistance of government agencies.
MACN claims that HelpDesk shipowners in Nigeria have reduced operational costs by $20,000 to as much as $150,000 per port call by avoiding delays, unnecessary paperwork, and corrupt demands by using the solution.
