Political parties must account for funding: ACC

POLITICAL parties that are represented in Parliament and thus receiving Government funding should account for how the money is spent, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) recommends in its latest annual report.

The report was tabled in Parliament on Thursday and covers the period from April 2008 to March 2009. ‘The issue of funding for the political parties was brought to the attention of the ACC on numerous occasions as they appear not to account in a transparent manner for how the moneys allocated were spent,’ the ACC stated in its report. ‘This is money of taxpayers. Parliament should therefore look into the possibility of adopting legislation regulating the funding of political parties represented in Parliament. This would provide transparency and accountability with regard to the allocation and spending of the funds. When public funds are allocated to an institution without asking that institution to account is tantamount to money laundering,’ ACC Director Paulus Noa said.The ACC received 928 reports of alleged corrupted practices and referred 93 cases to the Prosecutor General with a recommendation to institute criminal prosecution.In its report, the ACC also recommended that the current practice of directors serving on boards of State-owned enterprises deciding ‘on each other’s benefits’ like directors’ fees should be reconsidered. Another issue the ACC said needed to be looked at was remunerative work by public servants. They should seek permission from the Public Service Commission, but several of them were engaged in paid outside work without the required permission and some of them were senior officials. ‘Disciplinary measures should be taken in accordance with the Public Service Act,’ Noa recommended.