Kick Your Own

Zambia is a country that has spent the last 44 years grappling with the challenge of empowering her people to not only have political independence, but also economic independence too.

The nationalisation era and the parastatal era were all well intentioned initiatives to empower Zambians over time. In addition, Lima Bank, Namboard, Indeco, Zamhort, and so on were all part of a macro program to develop wealth and economic activity in Zambia. Some of these initiatives were successful and others did not do so well and eventually collapsed.

Many Zambians found themselves without too many options for business except to trade across the borders and offer their physical capacity as labour. Even at the consultancy level many Zambians become assistants to foreign consultants in order to get a piece of the consulting cake. The assistant did all the leg work and burned the late night oil while the principal consultant provided credibility and consumed the lion’s share of the fee. A good example of intellectual labour!

44 years down the road we have not moved too far from where we started. We may have more Zambians participating in the economy, but what equity do they hold in the scheme of things? Successful Zambian consultants are predominantly those that bow to the desires of the pay master at the expense of a professional and quality piece of work. Successful businessmen are usually those that shout loudest for the benefit of their funders. These are people that don’t want to rock the boat to enable many more Zambians to prosper, because doing so would sever their links with a foreign based financier or multinational.

There are some Zambians that have challenged the status quo and fought for local empowerment in the shadows while the rest of us run seminars on the subject and pick sitting allowances.

A case in point is Andrew Kachibe of Andrew Kurt Limited. This man of the soil Zambian has seen it all. Andrew has jumped the hoops of business in Zambia for several decades and always landed on his back because of lack of access to finance, lack of support from larger corporations, and so on.

After some in depth research Andrew decided to go into the cement business and export the commodity to Burundi as many Burundians and other investors were doing.

When he tried to register for an export quota of cement he was told that there was no provision for Zambians to be given export quotas. After much negotiations and debates with the supplier Andrew finally gave up and decided to go to Burundi and become an investor there so that he could come back home as a Burundian company wanting to purchase cement for export as other investors were doing.

After successfully launching Andrew Kurt International in Burundi, Andrew was back in Zambia knocking at the suppliers’ door with supporting documentation to be given a quota for export. Again he was denied. What started off as a business negotiation finally evolved into a quarrel that bordered on discrimination. If you are a Zambian then there are no quotas for you – period. Andrew made sure that if he could be allowed to purchase the commodity as Burundian registered company then no Burundian company should be given any quota and that is how the saga ended.

Andrew Kurt International now sources its cement form Tanzania, tranships it via Nakonde and Mpulungu in Zambia, and onward over Lake Tanganyika to Burundi.

A Zambian with his heart in Zambia is forced to do his business in Tanzania and Burundi for the benefit of these two countries, but at the expense of his mother country.

School fees, rentals, taxes, fuels, food, and so on are all paid for outside our economy because we choose not to support our own people.

There is much talk of Citizens Economic Empowerment but it must not be just in the boardroom and at the conference tables. The challenges go far beyond the basics of providing funds and reserving sectors for ‘nationals’. The CEEC must become a watch dog with sharp teeth to check on unfair practices and to advocate for supportive and facilitative initiatives to assist Zambians to prosper.

In the construction industry, many Zambians lose contracts due to difficulties in obtaining bank guarantees due to the cumbersome procedures and high costs involved. On the other hand, foreign contractors overcome this hurdle effortlessly because of the support they receive from banks originating from their home countries. How do expect our own people to become bigger players in the construction industry unless we deliberately persuade our supporting institutions to be more pro-Zambian including the Zambia National Tender Board. One need only look at the purchasing rules of some Diplomatic Missions and Donor organisations to see the impact of their initiatives to support their own nationals. Why do we shun this practice which is an international best practice of citizens’ empowerment in the developed world?

The Zambia Competition Commission has its work cut out to ensure that there is equity and fair play in the business environment such that Zambians can be facilitated and supported to invest in their own country and become the large corporations of tomorrow.

We would all like to see Mr Andrew Kachibe’s big Zambian smile in our economy.

Published 29 April 2008

Cost Of Living

Last Tuesday a colleague shared her experience with me about the realities of life in the high density urban areas around our cities.

The area in question is Ngómbe Compound, and the incident in question is Health Services at the local clinic.

My colleagues’ niece is 20 years old and had recently married a 30 year old man who is employed as a Gardener in Chamba Valley. In addition, this 30 year old man inherited his late mother’s house in the compound and his 5 siblings whose ages range from 28 to 6 years old. This head of the household is the only reliable bread winner in the family while his younger brothers peddle in various local beverages to earn some income to supplement their food requirements.

On that fateful Sunday two weeks ago, the young wife was taken to Ngómbe Clinic with all the necessary requirements to deliver her first baby. The family had struggled to buy a new surgical blade to sever the umbilical cord, a new surgical umbilical cord peg, 4 new pairs of surgical gloves, a new delivery chitenge, a bag of cotton wool, and the usual new baby requisites of receiving blanket, napkins, pins, and clothing.

The delivery went through without a hitch and the baby girl was born at 22.00 hours that Sunday 6^th April, 2008. Mother and baby were doing just fine on the Monday morning and all seemed well.

On Tuesday afternoon the mother noticed that the baby was running a fever and was very uncomfortable. Thanks to the experiences and wisdom of the elders that had come to see the new baby, both mother and baby were taken back to the Ngómbe clinic for medical attention. The medical personnel were unable to deal with the situation but noted that the umbilical cord area was infected and was the cause of the fever. The new baby was then referred to the University Teaching Hospital for specialist treatment. Both the mother and father realised that they had to act fast and resorted to asking friends and relatives to chip in and book a K30,000 taxi to speedily take the baby to the UTH instead of the usual option of a two hour mini bus ride that must pass through town centre.

At the UTH the baby was attended to after a seemingly long wait and the doctors concluded that the infection was as a result of a soiled or dirty umbilical cord peg that was used to clamp the cord during the birth of the child.

The baby and mother were immediately admitted into hospital for treatment and observation since the baby was fragile and not even 2 days old. Let’s remember that UTH does not admit a patient unnecessarily so the doctors must have been quite worried about the state of the new born baby.

The baby’s mother, father and other relatives were all perplexed that a brand new umbilical cord blade and peg that were brought to Ngómbe Clinic sealed in their wrappers could be soiled or dirty. The family had made sure that their first baby was going to get the best support and treatment that they could afford, but now they were faced with huge transport bills to UTH and back, huge food bills for the mother while at UTH, huge drugs bills for any drugs that may be prescribed by the doctors at UTH, and no doubt severe losses to the father’s wages as he takes time off from work to tend to his new born and wife in hospital.

Judging by the difference in type of umbilical peg clamped on the baby’s stomach compared what they had given the medical staff, the family feels quite confident that the staff at Ngómbe Clinic had taken all the requisites for their child’s birth and sold them to other patients for some quick cash while the intended baby was clamped with a re-used peg, had her cord cut with a re-used blade, and was handled with re-used gloves which ultimately resulted in the infection suffered by the new born. This negligent greed has brought a host of new expenses that were not bargained for and now threatens the life of this innocent child. Such is the price for being poor and being voiceless.

This episode may be seen to be full of speculation and innuendo but it resonates with many Zambians who live in the compounds around our towns and cities. Who has not experienced a similar story in respect to their children, siblings, parents, grandparents or any other relatives and friends? We all have. It is worth acknowledging that even those people that have medical rescue insurance that evacuates them to South Africa for emergency medical treatment are at the mercy of our own healthcare systems when they are involved in an accident with nobody to point out what should be done for them. A person injured in an accident, or the victim of some sudden disease, also becomes voiceless. These people will find themselves in the UTH or any other Government run hospital or clinic and they will be brought down to the level of the compound dweller in Ngómbe.

Our quality of life is greatly affected by the quality of health care that we are exposed to. The Government has made its efforts to provide healthcare throughout the nation. The time has come to hold hands among the three parties – Government, Private Sector and Civil Society, to work together in collaboration and partnership to provide acceptable healthcare to all in Zambia.

Published 22 April 2008

Tender Board

The print media recently revealed that the Road Development Agency was concerned about the capacity of the Zambia National Tender Board (ZNTB) to handle bids on time. In addition, during a parliamentary committee sitting it was also reported that the Tender Board had failed to utilise K900 billion last year which was later returned to the Government Treasury.

There is a current initiative that aims to either amend the ZNTB Act such that it better serves the purposes of Government procurement, or, to out rightly repeal the ZNTB Act to be replaced with a totally new Act that will overhaul Government procurement processes.

This initiative is an admission by the ZNTB that there are weaknesses in the Act that leaves the management helpless to perform certain functions that may be pertinent to the smooth, efficient and professional operations of the ZNTB. This ongoing program is welcome, but care must be exercised to ensure that the new ZNTB Act is not flavoured by ‘empire building’ and inter Governmental bureaucracy that will impact negatively on the performance of the ZNTB. Challenges for encompassing the vision of the Fifth National Development Plan and the new Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission must be taken on board. Additionally, Zambia is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) and is compelled to factor the procurement protocols and agreements at the regional level into the domestic public procurement legislation. At the global level, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has also launched a series of trading processes and protocols that all member states are required to adhere to, which no doubt will impact on our procurement relationships with foreign companies. The challenges are monumental and must be addressed in the context of the various instruments to which Zambia is a signatory.

At the ZNTB on the ground, one cannot over look the fact that the Ministry of Finance chairs the Board. This close relationship between the ZNTB and the Ministry of Finance begs the question of why is ZNTB seen to lack capacity to manage the bids that are tendered every day? The other question one may ask is what legitimate reasons can the ZNTB forward for failing to employ K900 million during 2008? What part of the perceived inefficiency at the ZNTB can be attributed to the lack of oversight and specific mandate from the Board that is chaired by the very Ministry that vocally highlights its weaknesses? Some introspective evaluation needs to be carried out to determine what the issues are and to offer sustainable solutions. This is a challenge to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning as well as the ZNTB Board of Directors.

Too often we see that the problems emanate from the top and the management finds itself handicapped to offer solutions as no clear direction, or options for redress are articulated at the policy level.

There is need for wide consultation as we evolve our public procurement tendering processes towards systems that focus on the development of the domestic economy while navigating through the maze of requirements developed at the regional level and within the global trading system.

Some clear cut strategies need to be developed that will avoid entangling ourselves in duplication and conflict as we seek to develop the economy and empower our people. Accountability, transparency, and collaboration with the private sector are imperative if ZNTB is to be perceived as impartial and professional in the way it conducts its business. In many parts of the world private sector consultants are called upon to assist in developing specifications or evaluating bids to ensure that the technicalities of particular industries are taken into account without compromising the tendering process. ZNTB must be able to advise various Government departments on aspects of procurement and should become the chief policy advisor to Government in respect to tendering processes and implementation and evaluation strategies. A deliberate public and private sector dialogue forum must be put in place to keep a constant contact with the stakeholders. It is from this forum that ZNTB will be able to extract data, concerns, and trends that will impact on the evolution of the policies affecting the public procurement system. Lessons from the experiences of withdrawing the various development agencies in favour of the Zambia Development Agency, and the sidelining of the Development Bank of Zambia in favour of the Citizens Economic Empowerment Funds are food for thought on how we can do it better, and at a sustainable level. The challenge is to continue to positively develop our public institutions so that they serve the purposes for which they were created.

An opportunity now exists to improve on what we have been doing in the tendering process. An amended or re-enacted ZNTB Act is only part of the way forward. There is room for looking at the composition of the Board of Directors. How will the Board influence the vision of the ZNTB? What benchmarks can be put in place to ensure ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the efficiency and efficacy of the ZNTB? Should we consider thresholds for Local Bidding and Competitive International Bidding? The glass is half full and all efforts must be made to improve the operations of the ZNTB and empower its management such that at the end of the day the Government which is the largest buyer in the country can be best served. A well functioning and efficient Government will save the taxpayers’ money, and ensure that the economy is firmly on the road to success for the benefit of all Zambians.

Published 15 April 2008

Negotiations

Zambia is in the East and Southern African configuration (ESA) in which she is currently in the throes of preparing for final negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union. In December 2007 Zambia initialed an Interim EPA Agreement to indicate commitment to continuing the negotiations after the European Union (EU) set deadline of 31^st December, 2007.

As of 1^st January, 2008 Zambia reverted to the Everything But Arms (EBA) trading arrangement with the EU until an EPA is finally expected to be signed with Zambia and other ESA countries by 3st December, 2008.

In the background it is important to understand that the now revoked Cottonou Agreement was unilaterally withdrawn by the EU on the basis that the provisions in the agreement did not comply with World Trade Organization rules that compels the EU to treat all developing countries of the world with equal trade rules. In order to comply with the WTO rules, the EU decided to revoke the Cottonou Agreement which affected about 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, rather than to absorb the almost 20 developing countries into this already established trade agreement. It may be possible that the EU needed some excuse to ‘pull the carpet’ from under the ACP countries’ feet because they did not like the Cottonou deal which offered non reciprocal market access into the EU by ACP states.

The current environment for negotiation puts a huge burden on Zambia to develop various positions in respect to an EPA with the EU. It also prescribes a time line that compels the negotiations t be completed by the end of the year. Furthermore, several guidelines and best practices are thrown at us to indicate the direction of negotiations that would be acceptable to the EU negotiating team as a means to help Zambia in the process. And finally, the EU offers to assist Zambia to develop her capacity to negotiate through funding for human resource development in the public sector, and providing logistics, equipment and experts to support the process.

The challenge for Zambia now, is to initially step out of the shadow of guidelines, best practices, and terms of references, and come up with a home grown list of specific issues that we would like to see in an EPA with the EU. These issues should take into account our own development needs first, and the regional development needs second. Our minds should not be restricted by what we think other countries will do, or what the EU would want, but what Zambians expect. In addition, Zambia must set the agenda for capacity building with specific requirements such as the type of human resource training required, where it should sourced, and who should be trained. We must clearly state what logistical requirement we need, what equipment is relevant for our programs, and whether we need to use local experts or foreign consultants of our choice, and from countries that will bring out the issues that support our cause.

If Zambia were to take these decidedly bold steps, then our position in negotiations with the EU on the EPA would be one of equity in the dialogue, and on issues that will have a positive impact on Zambia’s development. It is understood that there will be negotiations towards a final agreement that will serve the interests of both parties such that a sincere and mutually accountable agreement is entered into for the benefit of Zambians and our European counterparts.

It is of cardinal importance to note that the current EU ‘red tape’ and rigidity in endeavoring to support Zambia and facilitate a useful EPA negotiation is not succeeding. The EU must be held accountable and should be transparent in their EPA development program in Zambia. Committed support must be delivered as per a set matrix that covers funding, time lines, and other logistics.

Zambia must work towards being able to negotiate an EPA that will help to develop the country, but we must be brave enough to recognize what is possible within the resources and time span provided. We must sign that part of the EPA that we are comfortable with come 31^st December this year, and push for further negotiations for next year if necessary.

The demands made of Zambia in any trade agreements with the EU must be must be pitched against the EU’s practiced trade rules and arrangements with stronger economies such as the United States, China and India. Double standards must be eliminated and we must all walk away from the negotiation table with some satisfaction.

Published 11 March 2008

Doing Business

Last week saw the World Bank (WB)/International Finance Corporation (IFC) facilitated a local workshop on Doing Business in Zambia, as an effort to support the improvement of the Business Climate on which many investment decisions are made.

The WB/IFC Doing Business report ranks Zambia as number 116 out of 178 countries. This position puts Zambia towards the bottom of the list thus effectively profiling the country as a ‘No Go’ area.

Much of the information that was used to arrive at this ranking was not very representative of the facts on the ground, but the low ranking motivated some reflections on how best Zambia could improve her profile in facilitating increased investment and wealth creation with opportunities for more jobs.

Two major issues come out clearly when foreign assessments are made about Zambia. The first one is that there are perceptions about the investment climate in Zambia that both foreign investors, and possibly large local investors, will consider when thinking about investing in Zambia. The second issue is that there are many problems that need to be tackled and resolved to improve Zambia’s investment profile. Several problems can be resolved simply by re-engineering various processes and procedures in many public service institutions.

The issue of foreign perceptions challenges us to consider the impact on the local economy as many of these perceptions are highlighted on web sites across the world, and provokes us to correct any mis-conceptions and mis-representations that may have occurred. This challenge is open to both Government and the Private Sector. The provision of accurate information and access to proven specialists in various areas is essential towards dissemination of meaningful information to researchers and collaborating partners. Open, inclusive, and equitable dialogue at meetings and conferences ensures that views and concerns are captured from the primary source to avoid extrapolation and hypothesis on the many issues that describe Zambia as a place to do business. Experience shows us that our situation is usually very mis-represented at the international level so we have a huge challenge to put things right.

There is no doubt that there is always room for improvement in all our public service delivery institutions. We need to be constantly reminded that we can improve and that we are part of a competitive regional and global market. Our local public delivery systems need to benchmark themselves against the competition in the region and further beyond. Issues of clarity of rules and regulations, and the option of collaboration amongst Government agencies, have a direct impact on the barriers to doing business in Zambia.

Furthermore, many Government agencies are challenged to simply install Monitoring and Evaluation systems within their own processes such that the public are not lumbered with the daunting task of having to be the ‘whistle blowers’ or ‘complainants’ when systems are not serving the interest of doing business better, cost effectively, and more efficiently.

The Registrar of Companies and other Registration agencies need to take up this challenge within their institutions whilst other licensing agencies offer even more compelling options to audit their processes such that the opportunities for discretion by public officers are removed where possible.

There is a danger that we will be swayed towards ‘throwing out the baby with the bath water’ by trying to overhaul the entire public service sector which is a monumental task. The quest to change legislation, overlap responsibilities that belong to specific Ministries, and re-write the rules and regulations, is a long time program with many opportunities for the program to be abandoned or removed from the priority list with time. Improving the Business Climate in Zambia requires short term programs that are easy to implement, medium term programs that require more resources and time to be successful and long term programs that focus on major changes in mandate and issues that require wider public consensus.

The quick wins in improving service delivery will go a long way towards immediately pushing Zambia up on the Doing Business index which is highly respected in the global markets. The chances for the medium term and long term changes to be seriously accommodated will largely hinge on the successes and positive impact of our short term programs.

Published 26 February 2008

Manufacturing

The 2008 budget targets the private sector as the driving force for economic development in Zambia. In addition, the Fifth National Development Plan focuses Zambia’s economic growth on private sector investments in Agriculture, Mining, Tourism and Manufacturing.

On Friday February 8^th the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) answered the Governments call for increased manufacturing by initially, formally launching the ZAM Secretariat in Lusaka.

The Governments of the Netherlands and Finland have extended their support to ZAM with a K1 Billion grant and other resources to assist in the quest to promote increased manufacturing and the creation of both wealth and new jobs.

After the fun and pomp that accompanies an official launch, ZAM will have to get down to do the serious work of dialoguing with the manufacturing companies around the country and come up with proposals to Government on policy development and other facilities that will lead to enhanced manufacturing in the country.

At the launch ZAM highlighted that it will put much effort in skills development to ensure that the manufacturing sector has the necessary human resources to support manufacturing at various levels.

Furthermore, the ZAM President looked to Government to support the manufacturing sector by the provision of incentives and opportunities for value addition in this sector. In addition, ZAM stressed the need for Government to improve the business environment for manufacturers and to attract new investment.

ZAM seeks Tax policies that should aim at strengthening investment in innovation and new technologies. At the support level, ZAM focuses on the need for the Zambia Development Agency, which is the port-of-first call for any investment coming into Zambia, to operate efficiently, expeditiously, and in harmony with other Government agencies so that investments in manufacturing can be promoted and facilitated at all levels.

Finally, ZAM expressed its desire to work with Government in establishing the Lusaka Multi Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) which is currently being developed by the Japanese Government.

The obvious challenges for the new ZAM President, his Executive and the Secretariat are many and have to be faced head-on in addressing the issues contained in the President’s launch speech.

ZAM will need to be very decisive about what contribution it makes to the National Fiscal Budget each year to address the demands of its membership. ZAM will need to challenge the ZDA on the ambiguities of the ZDA Act which have resulted in some firms closing down and other would-be investments not taking off. ZAM will need to challenge the Government on the rules and regulations that will govern the Economic Zones which are currently cropping up in Lusaka and the Copperbelt without public awareness of the managing mechanisms. In this respect, the role of ZDA in taking charge of the MFEZ’s is a critical factor as ZDA has a division specifically set up for this purpose.

ZAM will be challenged to broaden its coverage by offering its membership and secretariat to the Small and Medium manufacturers which constitute more than 70% of manufacturing activity in Zambia.

ZAM will need to collaborate and co-operate with the many other business associations out there including the Zambia Chamber of Small and Medium Business Associations to spread its outreach across the country.

The impact of regional Free Trade Areas and Customs Unions as deliberated at SADC and COMESA have a direct impact on the future of manufacturing in Zambia. ZAM will find itself grappling with the demands of its membership and the consequences of regional integration on manufacturing. At the global level ZAM will have to participate in debate and dialogue with WTO issues affecting manufacturers in Zambia.

ZAM should look to the Zambia Bureau of Standards and the Zambia Weights and Measures Agency as allies in the manufacturing sector to ensure quality of products manufactured and compliance with package contents as required by law.

The ribbons have been cut, the doors have been opened, the offices are equipped with desks, chairs and computers, and now the serious work of delivering a service to the membership which must grow to national status, is the job at hand.

Welcome new ZAM, welcome new Secretariat, welcome new spirit, welcome new enthusiasm, and welcome new dialogue, debate, and demand for increased manufacturing in Zambia.

Published 19 February 2008

Corruption

Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index places Zambia in an uncomfortably prominent position on the list where the indicator suggests that corruption is alive and well, and growing.

At the business level, it is interesting to highlight where corruption is making a big impact, and which areas can be drivers of change.

It is also important to note that at the lower levels, corruption starts off as a bread and butter issue of survival, but these seemingly harmless incidents become the foundation for doing business, and will grow to larger forms of corruption with time.

At the corporate level corruption has an immediate devastating impact. The selection of Board Members that will service the private agendas of the appointing agents can ruin an organization even before it gets its feet on the ground. The hand picking of top management individuals at the expense of professional assessment panels puts insincere personnel with low integrity into positions of power. The business is set on a course of patronage and boot licking from the word GO! Corruption is then institutionalized and the only direction for that business to go; is down.

At this level corruption will affect the lives of the employees, will result in the loss of huge investments, and will lead to the lack of credibility of the citizens of that community.

Accountability is an essential requirement if a business is to survive in this competitive world. A business must be accountable to its management for it to perform well. The management must be accountable to the Board of Directors if the management is expected to carry out its mandate. In this respect the Board of Directors must be accountable to the Share Holders, and the Share Holders must be accountable to the Government and Community at large. Accountability is also one of the biggest weapons against corruption. Since corruption is generally a closed door, behind the scenes activity, open accountability tries to flush it out and eradicate it from the system.

Corruption is always aimed at some form of gain to the individual. If that individual is an employee in a private company or in a public institution, then the corrupt acts are not aimed a protecting the organization whilst making a fast buck. The organization becomes a victim of the corrupt acts and the institution is eventually destroyed as it is continuously used and abused to serve the personal interests of the employees.

Where are some of the drivers of change in our economy? Which institutions can pilot the way forward towards a corrupt free economy?

At the macro level, public equity, accountability, clarity, and checks and balances are essential in the national constitution.

At the executive level, consultation, inclusion, accountability and recourse are important for systems to be respected and implemented.

At the operational level, some key public institutions and civil society collectives must take up the challenge of introducing a mind set that sees corruption as a detrimental practice for both social and economic development.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) must perform the basic task of responding to all complaints even if there is no merit in the complaint. A response from the ACC is a sign of acknowledgement and that the matter is, or has been considered. That in itself is a basic win for the ACC in the fight against corruption. The ACC should have the laxity to investigate and prosecute any person in the private sector or in the Government if a case of corruption can be established. This develops a sense of confidence in the citizenry that the ACC is impartial and that there are no Sacred Cows. The ACC must have links to all public institutions with special emphasis on those that offer services directly to the public. This will also inspire confidence in the operations of the ACC and provide a natural watchdog service on behalf of the public in public institutions.

The Zambia National Tender Board (ZNTB) must put in place a responsive reporting system on the processing of tenders. This reporting system must be in the public domain for all to see. ZNTB must respond to all bidders with clear reasons why their tenders were not successful and provide an avenue for complaints that can be dealt with in an open and transparent manner. A complaints desk is in place at ZNTB, but until full information is made available to the public and bidders pro-actively, ZNTB will always be perceived to be biased in their operations and processing of tenders.

The Zambia Police Service (ZP) is the most active public institution in issues on corruption. If ZP cannot be trusted to arrest a suspect or investigate a case, then corrupt practices will be fueled, and will grow, as the perpetrators will be perceived to be above the law. The public usually interface with the Police on a daily basis on any issue that either breaks the law or impinges on ones civil liberties. The Police represent the face of the Government and its authority in every community. A perceived corrupt Police Service, or an inactive Police Service, only serves to promote corruption in any society. The public begin to sideline the Police and use corrupt means to resolve their cases.

Institutions of Education, starting from the home, can be essential drivers in the fight against corruption. At home, values, principles, and culture are taught to children at an early age. These virtues will usually guide children throughout their lives into adulthood and build the character of the person, and further, the character of the society. Parental teaching of right from wrong, and good from bad, are the basic ingredients of our character in later life.

This effort can be further complimented by additional teachings at primary, secondary, and tertiary education institutions whereby the linkages between corruption and its negative effects on society and the economy can be further elaborated.

Businesses in Zambia are dependent on sound rules and regulations, equitable and predictable systems and public services, and sincere and dedicated staff with a high sense of integrity. If all these characteristics are not in place, we will struggle to lift our economy and people out of poverty, and continue to be our own worst enemies.

Published 5 February 2008