The Ethiopian government has been taking various measures to mitigate corruption and related problems for long since it is a crime that hampers the country’s social, economic and political development. The Federal Ethics Anti- Corruption Commission, since its establishment in 2001 has carried out responsibilities based on its mandate. Nevertheless, according to studies, corruption has been growing from time to time and reached to its climax and became the major problem of the nation and an impediment for the flourishing of good governance.
Haregot Abraha, Head of Stakeholders’ Coordinating Department at the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission said that according to international studies conducted on corruption issues in Ethiopia, corruption rose to the critical level. Aiming to mitigate the problem, the government introduced proclamations, rules and regulations helpful to attain accountability and transparency.
As to Haregot, corruption can be defined in various aspects. Firstly, it is abusing ones office authority for personal gains which in turn erodes public trust towards the government. It also poses maladministration. Corruption does not only plunder the public wealth, it rather exacerbates political, social and economic crises.
For instance, it is proved that behind the armed conflicts witnessed here and there in the last three years, there is rampant corruption in the public offices that aggravated the situation. Corrupted officials usually leak confidential information to rebels so that rebels can easily select and attack soft targets where low enforcement bodies have less control in the areas.
He further said that, based on the objective reality on the ground, the Federal Ethics and Anti- corruption commission prepared standards and in this regard, corruption is categorized as the third level problem next to inflation and unemployment.
Recently, the National Anti- Corruption Committee is established under the auspicious of the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and some studies are conducted and the outcomes of the studies are publicized by the committee. It also made press conference regarding its activities. As a result, information tips are provided by the public to the committee members have increased currently and only in the last four months, more than 1000 information tips were received from the public.
Among the sectors information tips comes from the public includes land management, procurement, construction and others. Currently, the Commission works pursue participatory anti-corruption struggle and to that end, conducive environment is created. In the past, the struggle was conducted with the collaboration of specific institutions and follow-up works carried out after solutions were forwarded. But currently the dimension is changed and the scope is broadened to the sectoral level.
The structure is stretched from top to bottom to the woreda level and anti-corruption fight is carried out based on the study in the holistic manner. For instance, if the study is conducted on the health sector, the study focuses on the root causes and vulnerabilities to corruption and the output will be provided to the sector. And the sector, again based on the study, will prepare its own strategy to fight corruption.
The Study outcomes conducted on 19 sectoral institutions in this budget year will be provided to the pertinent institutions. In line with these efforts, there is an agreement since 2012 with the World Bank to fight corruption on projects financed by the institution. It has also its own standard. The bank also supported seven local projects. After assessment is conducted with regard to corruption, performance report is sent to the World Bank twice a year. Currently, projects financed by the WB have better corruption fighting structure, department and manpower with professional integrity.
However, as to Haregot, it does not mean that there is no corruption at all in the projects financed by the World Bank. There are pieces of information with regard to malpractices and miss- management in projects financed by the WB. In dealing with corruption, the commission focuses on the root cause and the degree of vulnerability of the institutions. For example, in the health sector supply chain of medicines and procurement are the most vulnerable areas to corruption and to avert the crime, new working system is introduced.
The society cooperates with the commission by providing tips of information regarding the malpractices visible in sub sectors such as utility provision of water, electric, Identification Card and documents provision. In addition, it is proved that corruption practices in the public profit making institutions procurement is rampant. Nepotism also witnessed in these institutions and some officials employed their kin with no competition so that creates enabling environment to looting.
As to Haregot, when the government was preoccupied in mitigating COVID-19 three years ago, corruption and mal-administration exacerbated. Hence, to address the problem, it took establishing national anti-corruption committee as a way out. The war broke out in the northern part of the country left institutions dysfunctional which again looters intentionally destroyed documents not to be accountable to their misdeeds.
It was also unable to the Auditor general to inspect the finance system working activities in the war affected areas. The members of the society in every corner raised question about corruption they encountered in the daily base. Some also said that it is unthinkable to get service in some public institutions without practicing red tape. Some customers also extort officials to get the service in a short cut way which again exacerbates corruption.
The public accuse corrupted officials in each organization which harden their business activities. Some public institutions’ leaders run after their gain instead of providing services properly to customers. However, as to him, the national committee’s operational time might be limited because anti- corruption struggle will not be fruitful only by a single committee task. If the corruption practices reduced to the lower level, the task will be managed by the regular institution.
Anti-corruption struggle can be fruitful only by waging a combined law enforcing action and fighting pre emptily through educating the public. Looking the situation in the international context, countries emulate various kinds of model in fighting corruption. Some countries argue that fighting corruption can be carried out by regular institutions such as police and Prosecutor without establishing anticorruption commission whereas others support the inclusion of anti-corruption commission.
After 2016, investigative and prosecuting tasks in Ethiopia were taken away from the anti-corruption commission and given to the police and Prosecutor respectively. Some argue that such measures have weakened the anti-corruption commission. But as to Haregot, the accusation is not based on study. He further said that, restructuring the commission is the mandate of the government. To reach on final decision of either reducing the commission’s authority or giving the mandate to another institution, it needs research.
In Africa where there is no the flourishing of strong institutions, accountability, and good governance, fighting corruption is not an easy task. Therefore, empowering anti-corruption commissions through providing capacity building, budget and trained human resource is essential.
As to Haregot, there are some irregularities regarding implementing instructions. For instance, in due course of public wealth registration, conducting studies how to fight conflict of interests and analyzing the information tips obtained on corruption is vital. He believes that resolving problems through coordinated efforts with the Prosecutor and police is key to eradicate corruption.
According to the anti-corruption law, each elected and appointed officials, as well as public workers are required to allow the commission to register his or her property. Based on this law, the commission created awareness to the public and so far at the national level, more than one million workers and managers have registered their wealth.
No complain was raised in the registration process unless some inconveniences on getting conducive registration places. But due to various reasons, delays are witnessed and to create conducive environment in this regard, efforts are underway to make registration on line in collaboration with the Artificial Intelligence Institute.
BY ABEBE WOLDEGIORGIS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 11 JULY 2023
