BY TEWODROS KASSA
Our World loses billions and trillions of dollars every year due to corruption. Corruption emanates from irresponsible, greedy individuals who never give recognition to the result of genuine works in every sector; instead attempting to take a shortcut to prosperity. They only bypass every stage of acquiring services through bribery.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), corruption damages economic growth through a wide range of channels. Thus, it lowers investment and retards economic growth to a significant extent. Not only does that; but a strong connection has been demonstrated between corruption and increasing levels of poverty and income inequality.
When corruption misdirects the assignment of unemployment or disability benefits, delays eligibility for pensions, weakens the provision of basic services, and it is usually the poor who suffer most. Such corruption undermines the social safety net and may deter the poor from seeking entitlements and other public services. Failing to fight corruption and address the problem it creates, exposes a given country towards a lower level of investment and growth, higher poverty and inequality, greater fiscal imbalances, and weaker delivery of basic public services.
Recently, local media reports that Ethiopia has established a National Anti-corruption Committee that seeks to fight corruption and work to bring the corrupted officials, and private investors to justice. Establishing such a committee will be the one step to take immediate measures on corrupted officials and improve corrupted systems.
The National Anti-Corruption Committee announced that it has started arresting individuals for alleged corrupt practices. The arresting of individuals has been started after undertaking a deep investigation on individuals suspected of committing corrupt practices and detaining those including officials who were found involved in various corruption crimes, especially in Addis Ababa.
Financial Intelligence Service Director General Tewodros Bekele said that suspects, engaged in financial plundering and land grabbing, have been detained. The government has established a national committee on the 17th of November 2022 to coordinate its anti-corruption campaign for the reason it believes that corruption has become a threat to the security of the country.
More importantly, the study revealed that widespread corruption is rampant in the provision of loan, consumer goods, procurement, land administration, financial sector, among others.
On his part, Justice Minister Gedion Timotheos told the media that the National Anti-Corruption Committee has identified individuals who have illegally taken land from Addis Ababa City Administration using fake documents, pretending to be farmers’ children and claiming compensations for lands which had been used for development activities in the city.
The Minister added that there have also been suspects who committed embezzlement of 175,000 square meters of land and condominiums. The recent measures being taken against corruption have also identified officials and lawyers who were working with individuals and private institutions for their personal benefits, abusing their power in the justice sector.
As the National Anti-Corruption Committee has been working hard to bring the suspects of corruption to justice, the Minister urged for a wider public support to the endeavors.
“These officials, brokers and individuals with illegal interests have been identified. The illegally seized possessions and lands, identified by the investigation so far, have been banned. The process of arresting some criminal suspects has begun. The task of putting more suspects under arrest will continue. In this regard, we ask for the help and cooperation of the public,” he stated.
Gedion underlined that consistent and corrective measures will be further intensified against corruption and theft since it is offensive and wrongful, adding that the measures will be announced to the public on a regular basis.
Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Service Temesgen Tiruneh, on his part said that the government of Ethiopia is intensifying efforts against corruption as corruption adversely affects the overall growth of the country, distresses the business environment and makes institutions and governance systems ineffective.
The Director General, who is also Chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Committee, also said that corruption has now become a national threat and it has been exacerbating the cost of living and unemployment in Ethiopia.
“Corruption or malpractice, in addition to being the cause for the high cost of living and unemployment in the country, has been confirmed by research that it is a third level threat to national security. The fact that it is a serious problem; it has become a major
The Ethiopian Herald December 22/2022
