In cognizance of the fact that the government single-alone could not ward off corrupt practices, by an all-out move, the curtain has to be wrung down on this social malaise.
Hence, deploying a concerted push and streamlining efforts to the same effect are called for. Mindful of this fact, every year the number of stakeholders that come aboard the fight against this cancerous disease is portraying an upswing. Recently, the anticorruption day was marked for the 16th time worldwide, while for the 15th time here in Ethiopia.
The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) did mark the day for the 2nd time recently bringing into the media limelight its committed and accountable employees who tooth and nail fought to dispossess the corrupt from leeching on nation’s hard-won and much-needed wealth.
These employees did accomplish an incredible task of hacking the networks of the corrupt within and in other organizations. As such, tasks of putting nation’s as well as citizens’ ahead taking bold actions and proving fit in the acid test of integrity surely deserve a thumbs up compliment. That is why CBE incentivized its employees who engaged in the task of dragging into light corrupt practices for remedial solution.
A similar action is expected in different organizations to bar the door on rent-seeking mind bent that is emasculating the nation’s move towards attaining its set goals. Discordant actions of fighting corruption have to be streamlined so as to arrest this social malaise before it blows up to full scale proportion.
On the aforementioned event, CBE’s business manager noted that corruption is a trans boundary problem that subtly lurks to pose threat on nations’ peace and security as well as to militate against the backbone of nation’s prosperity.
Studies show that Africa loses close to 50 billion USD to corruption. That is why the exigency of fighting corruption embracing different nations, individuals, administrators that could lend force to the fight is underlined.
For want of a concerted push corruption has been directly weighing down on our peace, development projects and conflict resolution tasks. To reverse the aforementioned tragic scenario, governmental and non-governmental media outlets and organizations must play the lion’s share.
Gargantuan investors are zooming their eyes towards Ethiopia, boasting numerous industrial parks, provided the country’s fast developing economy and committed government. As it is known, the fight against corruption is one of the salient preconditions foreign investors check in advance before they outlay their capital in a given country.
It was a big agenda the reformed government made a point of. Following the catalyzing move of the fight, true to the aforementioned trend, the return the country has been enjoying from Foreign Direct investment (FDI), in the course of the past six months now, has shown a turn for the better. As the conducive situation created is attracting them many foreign investors are being allured by the privatization initiative of the government. This is a good trend which serves a harbinger that the road ahead holds bright spots in store for the country.
On top of the socioeconomic bonanzas, FDI helps curb unemployment. Given FDI the socio-economic condition of the country changes for the better .When the living standard of citizens experience a turnaround, peace too will pull down roots. Here, it is worth to note that the benefit that accrues to the nation in the form of knowledge transfer.
FDI’s role in curbing the hard currency dearth besetting the nation is worth mentioning at this juncture. Aggressive sensitization works are called for to attract more investors who could engage in the export of value-added products of the country such as coffee for the flavour of which the nation stands out. The national coffee logo-brands introducing task underway to attract investors and to step up the marketability of the yield need to be greeted with clapping hands.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition, February 2/2020
