The National Audit Office of Tanzania (NAOT) proposes that the government should enact a law that would enable the state to confiscate ill-gotten property – the property of people proved to engage in corruption practices.
Mr Ludovick Utouh
The Controller and Auditor General (CAG), who heads the NAOT, Mr Ludovick Utouh, told the ‘Daily News’ that the legislation is inevitable given the trend of corruption practices that are currently experienced in the country.
“When you look at vices such as corruption, poaching and trade on illicit drugs, you will agree with me that the law is crucial if our country is to develop,” Mr Utouh told the said last week.
He added: “In the proposed legislation, if it is proved beyond doubt by courts of law that an official has engaged in graft then his/her property should be confiscated. We hope this will go a long way in checking the vice.”
The call by the CAG comes a few days after the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Job Ndugai, proposed that there should be a hard-hitting legislation against corrupt citizens, particularly civil servants.
Mr Ndugai made the remarks when officiating at the closing of a week-long training for Members of Parliamentary Oversight Committees that was organised by the NAOT.
“Enactment of the legislation is among recommendations made by the members of Parliamentary Oversight Committee at the end of the week-long training held in Bagamoyo,” the CAG said.
Members of three parliamentary oversight committees namely the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Local Authorities’ Accounts Committee (LAAC) and the Parliamentary Budget Committee met in the historic town of Bagamoyo for a week in a training session organised by NAOT.
The training was meant to empower members of the parliamentary committees with the skills and knowledge of scrutinising expenditures of public organisations in a bid to boost good governance.
“We work closely with the parliamentary committees and that is why we organised training for them. The MPs made a number of recommendations including the one on legislation against corruption, we will make a follow up on it,” the CAG explained.
According to the CAG, prevailing legislations do not giver powers to the state to confiscate property belonging to corrupt people even when such charges are proved by courts of law. “My office will make a follow-up on enactment of the legislation as it has been recommended by members of the parliamentary committees,” Mr Utouh said.
He was, however, of the view that the envisaged legislation should give more powers to Parliament and Judiciary so that they implement their duties effectively.
“While the Parliament has the role of making laws, courts should ensure implementation of the legislation,” Mr Utouh said. Mr Utouh has of late made some recommendations aimed at improving accountability and transparency in public office.
Some of the recommendations include establishment of the Parliamentary Budget Committee which is charged with working closely with the government in formulation and implementation of the budget.
It was the CAG who also proposed that the marathon budget session of the House should be conducted before a respective fiscal year in a bid to check delays in disbursement of funds and the proposal was implemented this year.
By ALVAR MWAKYUSA, Tanzania Daily News
