There’s no political will to fight corruption - NGOCC

There’s no political will to fight corruption - NGOCC
By Misheck Wangwe
Mon 28 Feb. 2011, 04:01 CAT

THE poor are getting poorer in Zambia because there is no political will in the fight against corruption, according to NGOCC.

In an interview yesterday, Non Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council (NGOCC) board chairperson Beatrice Grillo said the government was portraying a wrong picture to the international community that it was committed to the fight against corruption when there were no stringent monitoring mechanisms to prevent abuse of public funds.

Grillo said it was appalling that the Auditor General's report had revealed high levels of corruption and abuse of taxpayers' money but no corrective measures had been taken to ensure that public resources were utilised for the intended purpose.

She said Zambians must demand appropriate action against officers involved in the rampant abuse of public funds as highlighted by the Auditor General's report.

Grillo said the government's pretence that the country was doing well with the fight against corruption was unfair to Zambians who had continued to wallow in abject poverty.

“It's disheartening that money meant for the poor in the country, especially women and children, is squandered by public officers within the government system and nothing is done to correct the situation,” she said.

Grillo said it was distressing to note that under the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, huge sums sums of money meant for vulnerable women and street children were abused.

She said responsible personnel at the ministry must be investigated on why money meant for Food Security Programme (FSP) amounting to to more than K400 million was applied on the purchase of a motor vehicle for the minister.

She said it was unfortunate that District Social Welfare Offices failed to submit monthly returns for the 2009 financial year amounting to more than K4 billion.