The initiative, being developed by lawmakers from the ruling Morena party, is expected to be submitted to Congress on September 1, 2026.
A key focus of the reform is expected to be changing the role of the National Anti-Corruption System (SNA)*. The SNA currently brings together bodies responsible for preventing, detecting, investigating and combating corruption, but many of its recommendations are advisory in nature. The amendments propose making the National Anti-Corruption Policy** mandatory for all public authorities and, in certain cases, for private entities as well.
For businesses, this could have practical implications primarily in areas where companies regularly interact with the state, including participation in public procurement, construction projects, the supply of goods and services, operations in regulated sectors, obtaining permits and dealing with supervisory authorities.
Failure to implement anti-corruption recommendations could be treated as a serious administrative offence. This would increase the importance of SNA decisions and recommendations and turn them from a coordination tool into a more binding mechanism affecting public authorities and other participants in regulated relations.
The reform also places particular emphasis on corruption risk management. Public authorities would be required to introduce systems for assessing and preventing such risks. These systems would cover the most vulnerable areas, including public procurement, construction, the acquisition of goods and services, public finance management, political financing and staffing decisions. For companies, this could mean stronger expectations regarding internal controls, third-party due diligence, transparency of procedures and documentation of decisions when interacting with the public sector.
The composition of the SNA Coordinating Committee is also expected to change. It may include the specialized prosecutor for electoral offences and the Ministry of Finance. This expansion is intended to strengthen the link between anti-corruption policy, financial oversight, budgetary processes and violations in the electoral sphere.
The Citizen Participation Committee, which forms part of the SNA, is expected to receive additional powers. In particular, it would be able to initiate binding recommendations not only as part of annual reporting, but at any time when corruption risks or systemic problems are identified. This could strengthen the role of public oversight in shaping the anti-corruption agenda, including on issues related to procurement, the allocation of public resources and interaction between the state and the private sector.
Another part of the amendments concerns the evaluation of anti-corruption policy effectiveness. The reform provides for regular meetings of SNA bodies, annual assessment of the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Policy at the presidential level, and an independent evaluation of its implementation every three years. Experts, academic institutions and international organizations may be involved in such evaluations.
In addition to reforming the SNA itself, the package covers several related areas. In particular, it is expected to strengthen protection for whistleblowers, revise public procurement rules, reinforce the independence of the federal anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, reform the audit and internal control system, and introduce measures against fuel theft and schemes involving false invoices.
As a result, companies working with Mexico’s public sector may face stricter requirements for corruption risk assessment, internal procedures, transparency of operations and responses to recommendations issued by anti-corruption bodies. These changes will be most relevant for public procurement participants, contractors involved in infrastructure and construction projects, suppliers of goods and services to the public sector, and companies operating in regulated industries.
*The National Anti-Corruption System (Sistema Nacional Anticorrupción – SNA) is a coordination mechanism bringing together bodies and institutions involved in preventing, detecting, investigating and combating corruption, as well as in overseeing the use of public resources.
**The National Anti-Corruption Policy is the SNA’s strategic document setting out the main areas of anti-corruption policy, including corruption prevention, risk management, institutional coordination, public participation, oversight and evaluation of the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures.
