Marios Skandalis: The Cyprus Integrity Forum is the guardian of our collective conscience

"The Cyprus Integrity Forum is not only the largest non-profit organisation in our country in the field of promoting transparency, but the guardian of our collective conscience," the organisation's President, Marios Skandalis has said.

Speaking at the anniversary annual general meeting of the Cyprus Integrity Forum, on the occasion of the completion of 15 years of uninterrupted action - which took place on the afternoon of 2 June at the offices of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry - Skandalis reviewed the past year, as well as the goals set for the current year.

As he emphasised, fifteen years after its establishment, the Cyprus Integrity Forum stands more mature, stronger and more determined than ever to continue with even greater persistence, but also prudence, and away from populism, its effective and practical contribution to promoting transparency within the pillars of society, business and the state.

Stressing that 2025 is not a year of beginnings, but a year of deepening and institutional consolidation, Marios Skandalis underlined that in 2025 the Cyprus Integrity Forum will continue with greater zeal to closely monitor the country's progress, strengthening data analysis, public information and pressure on every competent body, both in Cyprus and abroad, for substantive results and not just consumption.

The President of the organisation sent the message that combating corruption is not the business of one institution or individual persons, going on to point out that if we can hope for substantial control of corruption, we must:

• First: Let's participate collectively.
• Second: Our focus should be holistic and not just on specific areas.
• Third: Let's act proactively.
• Fourth: Any punishment for corruption incidents should be exemplary.

Summarising the Cyprus Integrity Forum's vision for Cyprus, Skandalis spoke of a country where reporting corruption is encouraged, where state procurement is open and digital, where children learn values ​​such as honesty and fairness as part of their basic education curriculum, and where businesses are distinguished for their ethics and not made news for "bypasses" in their governance.

"With the right tools and international alliances with partners who share these values... we can," emphasised the President of the Cyprus Integrity Forum, the largest independent, non-governmental organisation in Cyprus with the exclusive mission of preventing and combating corruption.

It is noted that greetings at the event were also delivered by the Minister of Justice and Public Order Marios Hartsiotis, the Secretary General of the CCCI Philokypros Roussounides, the member of the Board of Directors of the Independent Authority Against Corruption, Tatiana Zachariadou, and the President of The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, Victoria Penrice.

Honourary distinctions to members of the Business Integrity Forum

It is worth noting that during the nniversary annual general meeting, honourary distinctions were awarded to businesses/members of the Business Integrity Forum, which, with their dynamic presence and the clear transparency policy they follow, constitute an example to be emulated in the business world, both in Cyprus and abroad.

The companies/members of the Business Integrity Forum, in the presence of whose CEOs the anniversary annual general meeting was held, are:

• PWC
• KPMG
• DELOITTE
• GRANT THORTON
• ANCORIA BANK
• CYPRUS BANK
• CDB BANK
• PYRGOU VAKIS LAW
• KENDRIS
• NETU
• INFOCREDIT
• LOGICOM

(Source: InBusinessNews)