Decentralisation ‘an open gate for graft’

WINDHOEK – The President of Claremont Graduate University in the United States says the decentralisation of government functions can lead to higher levels of corruption.

Taking part in a video conference in Windhoek on how to prevent corruption, Robert Klitgaard said on Monday that decentralisation increased corruption because local authorities were poorly paid and less trained. This, he said, gave local authorities a chance to indulge in corrupt practices.Klitgaard suggested that corruption should be seen as a problem of systems and not of individuals.”We can reduce corruption, but we can never eliminate it.It is possible to reduce corruption,” he said.Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Director Paul Noa, who also took part in the conference, said the commission needed adequate resources to enable it to work effectively.He said corruption was dynamic and systemic and therefore the commission needed highly trained staff to combat it.Noa said people know what was happening but were afraid to report corrupt practices because they feared victimisation.He added that money was also needed to enable the commission to educate the public about corruption.”It is important that there should be sufficient resources.If the funds are not there, forget about the effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption Commission,” Noa warned.NampaThis, he said, gave local authorities a chance to indulge in corrupt practices.Klitgaard suggested that corruption should be seen as a problem of systems and not of individuals.”We can reduce corruption, but we can never eliminate it.It is possible to reduce corruption,” he said.Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Director Paul Noa, who also took part in the conference, said the commission needed adequate resources to enable it to work effectively.He said corruption was dynamic and systemic and therefore the commission needed highly trained staff to combat it.Noa said people know what was happening but were afraid to report corrupt practices because they feared victimisation.He added that money was also needed to enable the commission to educate the public about corruption.”It is important that there should be sufficient resources.If the funds are not there, forget about the effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption Commission,” Noa warned.Nampa