tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6900460698887397063.post839241866427864305..comments2023-11-02T11:56:00.047+00:00Comments on issues over matters: NAME AND SHAME THEMAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02444385043826528068noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6900460698887397063.post-36142332382347869002008-03-21T17:08:00.000+00:002008-03-21T17:08:00.000+00:00Not only that, where it is proved beyond reasonabl...<B>Not only that, where it is proved beyond reasonable doubt that there was an element of dubiousness in their modus operandi, the company directors and civil servants that aid them in the process of defrauding the state must face the full force of the law. Simply banning the companies is not enough because the crafty ones would just go round, register new companies and carry on.</B><BR/><BR/>How much of that is because of the absence of credit registries. Maybe a national registry for entrepreneurs would help. <BR/><BR/><B>The question, surely, is how do these companies get the tenders in the first place, how are they paid if they do shoddy work and who supervises the jobs from government and sign them off as completed and payment sanctioned? There must be a rotten link somewhere in the government system particularly at the ministries of works and supply and finance and national planning as well as the Zambia National Tender Board.</B><BR/><BR/>They get paid up front apparently. There doesn't seem to be any link between payments and results. What the government could do, is pay them one month's worth of the project's costs, and then pay them a second month when all the receipts come in. There are ways to pay contractors that keep them interested in the project. The problem is, you never know whether this is incompetence or fraud. Also, last year the Finance Minister Ngandu Magande, was surprised and apparently embarassed about unfinished roads projects when he inpsected them himself. So the question is, where are the government inspectors? Why isn't there a government official embedded with the project all the time? Does the ministry just hand over the money? <BR/><BR/>If the government is really serious about fighting corruption, there is no more productive way than to address procurement in general and these construction contracts specifically. <BR/><BR/>A first step would make sure that there are no more secret government contracts (at least outside of the defense sector). <BR/><BR/>A second step would be to have an outside agency review all these contracts, just to keep everyone honest. <BR/><BR/>There have to be checks and balances built in to all these processes.MrKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12801241362245253006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6900460698887397063.post-75202923516042862042008-03-21T10:47:00.000+00:002008-03-21T10:47:00.000+00:00...and possibly jail them, because blacklisting th......and possibly jail them, because blacklisting them may not be a good enough deterrent.<BR/><BR/>I mean, the law on obtaining goods, contracts, etc thru' <B>corrupt</B> practices, must be enforced.<BR/><BR/>Just look at the US, no matter who you are, how wealthy, etc if you break the law, you will face severe consequences which usually involve a jail sentence. It doesn't stop bad people doing bad, but I'm pretty sure it makes people think twice.<BR/><BR/>In Zambia, well, you can count on one hand how many bad big people have ever faced the law.Zedianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15620459516168720746noreply@blogger.com