State draws up graft policy to fight Corruption

March 18, 2009
THE Government has adopted the first national Anti-Corruption Policy aimed at coming up with a central unified and harmonised framework to act as the national agenda of anti-corruption crusade.

Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said in a statement yesterday that the Anti-Corruption Policy was adopted at a Cabinet meeting held on March 16, 2009.
“It has been recognised that the current legal and institutional framework and social context do not match the aspirations for a corrupt free society because of lack of a central unifying and harmonising framework to act as the national agenda for action,” Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said.

He said the policy that would be implemented over a period of five years would require the concerted efforts and commitment of every Zambian at every levels.
Gen. Shikapwasha said the guiding principles for the policy would be constitutionalism and the rule of law, leadership, ethical conduct and universality in the fight against corruption
“It must also be recognised that the policy presents a challenge as well as an opportunity to every Zambian to meaningfully contribute to improving governance of Zambia,” he said.

Gen. Shikapwasha said that the policy would provide for the reviewing and enacting of legislation in the fight against corruption and at the same time develop a system for domestication of relevant provisions in international instruments to which Zambia was a party.

The policy would also provide for development and implementation of mechanisms for enhancing transparency and accountability in the exercise of public activity and streamline cumbersome bureaucratic and complex procedures in public service delivery.
He said under the policy, corruption prevention would also be mainstreamed in the routine Government business and the private sector.

He said among the challenges identified by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in the current institutional framework in the fight against corruption were lack of an enhanced co-ordinated approach, lack of transparency and accountability in exercise of public authority.
Times of Zambia