Department of Government Ethics

In July 1953, the Security Office was set up in all government organizations, due to the circumstantial need of suppressing communism penetration. Its main responsibilities were focused on personnel investigations (such as internal security and royalty examination) and internal security education, closely related to the secret services or espionage organizations. When the Taipei City Government upgraded and became a municipal city in 1967, it not only expanded the Security Office to be a department, but also increased its functions for government ethics investigation and government integrity promotion in 1968.

In August 1972, due to the government downsizing movement, the Executive Yuan thereby incorporated the Security Office (Department) into the Personnel Department and named it as the Second Office of Personnel Department for distinction. After the Period of Mobilization for the Suppression of the Communist Rebellion was brought to an end, the Ministry of Justice started formulating the Act of the Establishment of the Government Employee Ethics Units and Officers in accordance with the circumstance change and public opinion. The regulation was passed by the Legislative Yuan on June 16, 1992 and proclaimed by the President on July 1 of the same year. The legalization procedure for government ethic department was accomplished at that time.

Based on the regulation, the Second Office of Personnel Department of the Taipei City Government was formally transformed into the Department of Government Ethics on January 19, 1993. To protect the human rights, all personnel documents and internal security files were destroyed in public and the assignment of personnel investigations (such as internal security and royalty examination) and internal security education was also canceled.

After the reform, the Department became formally independent from the secret services or espionage organizations and was set up to fight and to prevent corruption. Administratively, it is a staff unit, taking orders from the mayor. But, with respect to its personnel and executive conduction, the Ministry of Justice has the authority.

Rectification of government ethics and promotion of integrity are increasingly advocated by the multitude and the entrepreneurs. And, the Department is doing its best to fight and to prevent corruption under the belief that protection is better than cure. In the future, the Department will continually put much more emphasis on prevention instead of investigation, benefits promotion instead of disadvantage prevention and service instead of intervention, aiming to make every civil servant proud of integrity and ashamed of corruption. Nevertheless, support and participation of the public are definitely necessary, in order to complete objectives of government ethics investigation and government integrity promotion.