Build system to prevent, not just to punish corruption

Oct 31, 2009

An independent watchdog has released yet another corruption exposé saying the National Forestry Authority (NFA) is presiding over theft of national forestry resources.

An independent watchdog has released yet another corruption exposé saying the National Forestry Authority (NFA) is presiding over theft of national forestry resources.

This comes on the heels of the Auditor General’s report on the financial irregularities that riddled the preparation for CHOGM two years ago. Corruption continues despite Government vows and efforts to punish those caught because the system allows it.

During the preparations for CHOGM, under the pretext of saving time, procurement procedures were flaunted. As a result, officials were able to steal or mismanage Government money. The Auditor General’s report and media stories are but a mere post-mortem of the funds stolen.

Today, NFA officials are, without impediment, doing the same thing. In years to come, forensic auditors will count the national losses. Will this tired script stop replaying? Not until we build a system that prevents corruption in the first place.

Human beings by nature are fallible and will do the wrong thing whenever they can. We need a system that takes away the opportunity to be corrupt. For instance; the procurement body should have been able to stop CHOGM preparations over the flaunting of procedures. But does our system allow it to?

The Government will find far more success in fighting corruption by building a preventive system

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