Choose principled and ethical leaders to address corruption: Alweendo

WINDHOEK, 05 JUL  – Corruption is possible in any system, regardless of the philosophy or ideology of the founding fathers and it is therefore essential to elect leaders with forethought and wisdom in public and private entities, Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo has said.
He was making his contribution to a discussion on corruption and its effects moved by Popular Democratic Movement’s Vipuakuje Muharukua in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The former Governor of the Bank of Namibia believes ethical leadership should be at the centre in the anti-graft fight.
“It is therefore important that we make ethical and principled leadership a core issue in our choice of our leaders, be it in the private or public sector,” he stressed.
The minister went on to say corruption has negative repercussions on economic growth as it undermines Government’s tax collection ability, perpetuates income inequality and has an eroding effect on the growth of corporate enterprises.
“It also affects equitable distribution of resources, thereby increasing income inequality,” the minister stressed.
Alweendo added that when taxpayers evade and avoid to pay what they owe ‘the taxman’, it is tantamount to corruption, which has adverse consequences on the budget.
“When companies and individuals evade their responsibility to the required taxes, it diminishes the government’s ability to fun programmes aimed at poverty alleviation,” he said.
The minister further noted the long-term eroding effects corruption has on corporate enterprises.
“In highly corrupt economies, enterprises find it difficult to grow and prosper; they are less competitive and highly inefficient,” he said, adding that in most cases, enterprises spend an inordinate managerial time negotiating “unhelpful regulations and bureaucracy, instead of growing the enterprise”.
Moreover, the former national planning commission director general is of the view that that poorest and most vulnerable people are hardest hit by the results of corruption.
“When the investment cost in a large public infrastructure is highly inflated because of corruption, it reduces the government’s capacity to fund social welfare,” he explained.
(NAMPA)