Three key Bills, namely, the Anti-Corruption Bill, 2023, Integrity in Public Life (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill, 2023 were passed in the National Assembly on Wednesday, February 22nd.

The Anti-Corruption Bill, 2023, is a Bill to define and create criminal offenses of corrupt conduct and to create the office of a Special Prosecutor to receive complaints, investigate and prosecute acts of corrupt conduct of persons in public life in Saint Christopher and Nevis.

The Integrity in Public Life (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is a Bill to amend the Integrity in Public Life Act, Cap. 22.18, while the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is a Bill to amend the Freedom of Information Act, No. 6 of 2018.

The Freedom of Information Act enables citizens to request information about a wide range of topics such as government spending, public policies, and the conduct of public officials.

Next on the Federal Government’s agenda, will be the Procurement Act, whistleblower legislation and the Public Accounts Committee Act. All of this is part of the Government’s effort to further strengthen its good governance agenda.