Fight against corruption reaches ‘major milestone’

OVER the next three years, Government plans to spend at least N$20 million to root out corruption.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Nahas Angula for the first time presented a separate budget for the Anti-Corruption Commission to the National Assembly. Parliament is expected to approve an allocation of N$6,5 million for its operations this financial year.Angula described the establishment of the ACC earlier this year as a “major milestone” of the fourth Parliament.Last year, N$2,5 million was set aside from the Prime Minister’s budget to get the commission off the ground.From now on, its budget will be presented separately to Parliament.Angula said this was necessary to ensure that its operations were as independent and impartial as possible.A separate budget vote, Angula said, would also allow Parliament to assess the activities of the commission in line with the budget it would receive.”The commission should be placed in a position to effectively and efficiently investigate and prosecute allegations of corruption,” said Angula.The Prime Minister said the ACC would be expected to include public education and information campaigns that would prevent and curb corruption among its responsibilities.Angula said the ACC needed time to find its feet and that this could result in adjustments to the projected running costs of the commission.”However, with the increase of N$4 million over last year’s allocation to N$6,5 million for 2006-07 alone, Government is already showing that it is prepared to support the Commission to become an effective and efficient entity to fight the scourge of corruption,” said Angula.Angula provided the National Assembly with a short synopsis of progress the ACC had made to date to fulfil its mandate.This included acquiring the necessary vehicles, equipment and furniture to run the office and he said the focus would now shift to beefing up its staff.Angula said the scores of complaints received to date had all been computerised to ensure investigations could be handled in a systematic way.He said the Commission was looking at ways to speed up investigations by contracting specialists.Angula added that Namibia’s resolve to actively implement a policy to fight corruption in a constructive manner had had indirect effects, including being nominated to benefit from the US government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation.He said Namibia was one of three African countries that could apply for funding because it had scored high on actions taken to fight corruption.Parliament is expected to approve an allocation of N$6,5 million for its operations this financial year.Angula described the establishment of the ACC earlier this year as a “major milestone” of the fourth Parliament.Last year, N$2,5 million was set aside from the Prime Minister’s budget to get the commission off the ground.From now on, its budget will be presented separately to Parliament.Angula said this was necessary to ensure that its operations were as independent and impartial as possible.A separate budget vote, Angula said, would also allow Parliament to assess the activities of the commission in line with the budget it would receive.”The commission should be placed in a position to effectively and efficiently investigate and prosecute allegations of corruption,” said Angula.The Prime Minister said the ACC would be expected to include public education and information campaigns that would prevent and curb corruption among its responsibilities.Angula said the ACC needed time to find its feet and that this could result in adjustments to the projected running costs of the commission.”However, with the increase of N$4 million over last year’s allocation to N$6,5 million for 2006-07 alone, Government is already showing that it is prepared to support the Commission to become an effective and efficient entity to fight the scourge of corruption,” said Angula.Angula provided the National Assembly with a short synopsis of progress the ACC had made to date to fulfil its mandate.This included acquiring the necessary vehicles, equipment and furniture to run the office and he said the focus would now shift to beefing up its staff.Angula said the scores of complaints received to date had all been computerised to ensure investigations could be handled in a systematic way.He said the Commission was looking at ways to speed up investigations by contracting specialists.Angula added that Namibia’s resolve to actively implement a policy to fight corruption in a constructive manner had had indirect effects, including being nominated to benefit from the US government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation.He said Namibia was one of three African countries that could apply for funding because it had scored high on actions taken to fight corruption.