Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SANJOSE309
2006-02-09 15:17:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy San Jose
Cable title:  

REPORT ON SAN JOSE ANTI-CORRUPTION

Tags:  CS OIIP KPAO 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000309

SIPDIS

FOR WHA/PD-CQUIROZ
INFO IIP/G/WHA-JMANES; IIP/T/DHR-MESQUETINI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CS OIIP KPAO
SUBJECT: REPORT ON SAN JOSE ANTI-CORRUPTION
SPEAKER ERIC ROJO



A. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES: AS PART OF POST'S
ONGOING ANTI-CORRUPTION PROGRAM, FROM 11/21-11/22 PAS
SAN JOSE SPONSORED THE VISIT OF MR. ERIC ROJO,
EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT AT SHAW ENVIRONMENTAL &
INFRASTRUCTURE. OVER THE COURSE OF HIS TWO-DAY VISIT,
MR. ROJO GAVE TALKS AT SEVERAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
PRIVATE SECTOR IN GUARANTEEING TRANSPARENCY IN THE
PROCUREMENT PROCESS. THE HIGHLIGHT OF MR. ROJO'S VISIT
WAS HIS PARTICIPATION IN A LARGE AND WIDELY COVERED
EVENT AT THE GENERAL COMPTROLLER'S BUREAU IN WHICH
CONCRETE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE IN COSTA RICA'S
TROUBLED PUBLIC PROCUREMENT SYSTEM WERE PRESENTED. THE
RECOMMENDATIONS CAME AS THE RESULT OF AN OCTOBER 2005
NATIONAL FORUM, FACILITATED BY MR. ROJO, IN WHICH 80
PARTICIPANTS FROM THE COSTA RICAN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
SECTORS WORKED TOGETHER TO PRODUCE A SERIES OF
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.

THE EVENT ALSO FEATURED SUPPORTING SPEECHES BY
THE AMBASSADOR, THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL, THE
PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME ELECTIONS TRIBUNAL, AN
AMCHAM REPRESENTATIVE, AND MR. ROJO. THE EVENT
WAS WIDELY COVERED BY THE LOCAL PRESS.


B. DATE, FISCAL YEAR AND QUARTER: NOVEMBER 21-22,
2005; FIRST QUARTER, FY-2006


C. JUSTIFICATION AND OBJECTIVE: OVER THE LAST YEAR
AND A HALF COSTA RICA HAS BEEN ROCKED BY A SERIES OF
HIGH LEVEL CORRUPTION SCANDALS WITH ROOTS IN THE
COUNTRY'S TROUBLED PROCUREMENT SYSTEM. IN RESPONSE TO
THESE SCANDALS, POST HAS SPONSORED AN ONGOING ANTI-
CORRUPTION INITIATIVE TO ENCOURAGE GREATER TRANSPARENCY
AND EFFICIENCY IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. MR. ROJO
HAS BEEN A CENTRAL PART OF THIS INITIATIVE, WITH HIS
OCTOBER VISIT PRODUCING A SERIES OF CONCRETE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE IN PROCUREMENT. MR. ROJO'S
PRESENCE FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS,
AS WELL AS HIS FOLLOW-UP SEMINARS AND PRESS ACTIVITIES
WERE ESSENTIAL IN GIVING THE PROJECT THE HIGH LEVEL OF
ATTENTION IT NEEDS FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION.


D. RESULTS/IMPACT: MR. ROJO'S VISIT WAS WELL COVERED
BY THE PRESS; HE CONDUCTED EIGHT INTERVIEWS AND SEVERAL
ARTICLES ABOUT HIS VISIT APPEARED IN THE PRINT MEDIA.

ADDITIONALLY, BOTH THE PRESIDENT OF THE POWERFUL
SUPREME ELECTIONS TRIBUNAL AND THE COMPTROLLER
GENERAL TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HIS VISIT TO ANNOUNCE
THE ON-GOING COMMITMENT OF THEIR INSTITUTIONS TO
THE ANTI-CORRUPTION INITIATIVE AND TO
IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE;
THIS WAS AN ESPECIALLY REMARKABLE POSITION FOR
THE COMPTROLLER AS MANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS
DEMAND MAJOR CHANGES IN THE COMPTROLLER
GENERAL'S BUREAU. FURTHER, SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER
MR. ROJO'S VISIT, THE SUPREME ELECTIONS TRIBUNAL
AGREED TO ACT AS THE HOST INSTITUTION FOR THE
PROJECT, AND THE FULBRIGHT ASSOCIATION PLEDGED
ITS INVOLVMENT IN THE INITIATIVE.


E. NON-USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN-KIND
SUPPORT AND AMOUNT: THE GENERAL COMPTROLLER'S BUREAU,
THE SUPREME ELECTIONS TRIBUNAL AND THE FULBRIGHT
FOUNDATION PROVIDED LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO THE PROGRAM.


F. QUALITY OF U.S. SUPPORT AND AGENCY OFFICE:
EXCELLENT. POST THANKS JEAN MANES AND MONA
ESQUETINI OF IIP FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS
PROGRAM.

WARM REGARDS,

LANGDALE