. Lungu

By KAIKO NAMUSA –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu remains resolute to stemming corruption and has implored Zambians to reflect on the devastating effects the vice has on economic gains.
Zambia has made significant progress towards addressing corruption as evidenced by both local and international data.
According to indicators by organisations such the Transparancy International corruption perception index, Zambia had in the past five years, improved her score from 3.0 in 2010 to 3.7 in 2012 and 3.8 out of 10 in 2014.
Zambia starting today joined the rest of the world in commemorating the United Nations (UN) Anti-corruption week, ahead of the International Anti-Corruption Day which would fall on Tuesday next week.
President Lungu during his national address on ZNBC last evening to launch the occasion, said the fight against corruption remained high on his Government’s development agenda.
President Lungu said, because of the deep-rooted effects of corruption, Government had been firm in ensuring that public officials found engaging in corruption, were investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
“During this period, there is also need for us to seriously reflect on the devastating effects corruption has on the economy and individual lives, and choose to vehemently reject corruption. The fight against corruption continues to be high on my Government’s development agenda,” President Lungu said.
For this reason, he assured of continued support to the institutions that were mandated to combat the scourge.
Zambia being a signatory to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), it was important that it joined the rest of the world in commemorating the event, which was first declared in 1995.
He said the country, would continue to adhere to the provisions stipulated in the UNCAC and ensure that they were implemented for the benefit of the country.
“My Government believes that being party to international instruments such as the UNCAC, strengthens the fight against corruption, as the provisions in these instruments are incorporated into our legal framework for fighting corruption,” he said.
He said it was gratifying to note that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which was the lead institution in the fight against corruption, continued to execute its mandate by devising new strategies against the vice.
One such strategy, was the decentralization of the Commission’s operations to district level and that the move would take it even closer to the communities and enhance its efforts to curb the vice.
“Corruption is an impediment to development as its effects  on economies and households are conspicuous for all to see. Going forward as a nation, we must not allow this vice to be embedded in our systems.
The theme for this year’s celebration was, ‘breaking the corruption chain’, which President Lungu urged Zambians to seriously reflect so as to break the chains of corruption in the country.