President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has appealed to all Maldivians to avoid actions leading to corruption.
The President made the appeal in his message on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day.
The President highlighted that a major aim of the Administration was to eliminate corruption; that the Anti-Corruption Commission plays a crucial role in achieving this.
Thereby, it was the duty of the Commission and the Administration to investigate cases of corruption without reluctance, he said.
Additionally, the President stated that it was vital to overcome hurdles to the prosecution of the corrupt and that it was necessary to revise laws in order to root out corruption.
International Anti-Corruption Day has been observed annually, on 9th of December, since the passage of the United Nations Convention against Corruption on 31 October 2003.
The theme of this year's observance is "Corruption: An impediment to the Sustainable Development Goals".
Anti-Corruption Commission of Maldives (ACC) has also begun a photo contest to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day.
According to ACC, the main purpose of the competition is to engage the public in the work against corruption and also to share anti-corruption messages through social media.