Kabonge Musa
New Member
- Jun 16, 2024
- 3
- 6
Introduction
In the pursuit of the 'Tanzania We Want,' combating corruption and fraud stands as a paramount challenge. Corruption undermines social cohesion, hampers economic progress, and erodes trust in institutions. The top-ranked countries in the fight against corruption—Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, and Singapore—offer valuable lessons for Tanzania. Over the next 5–25 years, Tanzania can emulate strategies from these nations to foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and integrity within its own institutions. According to the 2022 report, Tanzania has a 38 CPI score compared to the top five countries, which start at 90, 87, 84, 83, and 82, respectively, and improved in 2023, where Tanzania scored 40 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean").
This places Tanzania at 87th out of 180 countries, indicating a moderate level of perceived corruption in the public sector. We define corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain, according to Transparency International, which can be in the form of behaviours like public servants taking money or demanding favours in exchange for services, politicians misusing public money or granting public jobs, contract with their sponsors, friends, and families without following procedures, or corporations bribing officials to get lucrative deals. And it affects society from different perspectives.
Over the next 5 to 25 years, a series of strategic changes and reforms could significantly bolster the fight against corruption and fraud, propelling Tanzania towards the "Tanzania We Want." As explained below
Strengthening Legal Frameworks and Institutions
In the immediate future, Tanzania must focus on reinforcing its legal frameworks and institutions responsible for combating corruption. This includes, first, enhancing legislation: updating existing laws and enacting new ones to close loopholes that allow corrupt practices to flourish. Secondly, empowering anti-corruption agencies: providing agencies like the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) with the necessary resources, autonomy, and authority to investigate and prosecute corruption cases effectively; also, the head of these agencies should not be appointed by the president to make them impartial and free from political influence, ensuring fair application of the law.
Thirdly, Judicial Reforms: Implementing reforms to ensure the judiciary is independent, impartial, and free from political influence, thus guaranteeing fair trials for those accused of corruption, Fouth Clearly define traffic laws, fines, and procedures for driver interactions with police. This reduces ambiguity and makes it harder for officers to exploit loopholes for bribes and Providing competitive wages and comprehensive training for traffic police to reduce the incentive for bribery Last but not least, supporting the Anti-Corruption Voices Foundation, PCCB clubs in schools and universities, and other institutions that focus on addressing the issue of corruption would empower a dedicated group already making a positive impact on anti-corruption education in Tanzania.
Transparency and Accountability
One of the key strategies employed by top-ranking countries is a robust system of transparency and accountability. Denmark, for instance, boasts transparent government processes and strict enforcement of anti-corruption laws. Tanzania can emulate this approach by implementing mechanisms such as open data initiatives, where government spending and decision-making processes are made publicly accessible, and by ensuring government operations are transparent by making information readily available to the public. This includes open budgets, public procurement processes, and financial disclosures by public officials. By enhancing transparency, Tanzania can empower its citizens to hold public officials accountable for their actions. Moreover, Finland's emphasis on independent oversight institutions, such as the Office of the Chancellor of Justice, plays a crucial role in combating corruption. Tanzania could establish similar institutions tasked with investigating allegations of corruption and ensuring the impartial enforcement of anti-corruption laws. By bolstering institutional capacity and independence, Tanzania can strengthen its anti-corruption framework and build public trust.
Technology and innovation
New Zealand's success in combating corruption is partly attributed to its embrace of technology and innovation. The country utilizes digital platforms for government services, reducing opportunities for corrupt practices. Tanzania can leverage technology to streamline bureaucratic processes, minimize human interaction, and reduce the scope for corruption. For example, implementing e-government solutions for public service delivery can enhance efficiency and accountability while also reducing opportunities for bribery and fraud. In fact, we have the e-government solution, but the government still fails to centralize all systems to communicate, resulting in a lack of commitment to ensuring the effectiveness of these solutions.
Additionally, Norway's innovative use of data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and prevent corruption offers valuable insights for Tanzania. By harnessing the power of data, Tanzania can identify patterns of corruption, target resources effectively, and enhance risk management strategies. For instance, deploying AI-powered systems to analyze financial transactions can help detect irregularities and suspicious activities, enabling authorities to take more timely action. Blockchain technology is the world's fastest-growing technology, and now Tanzania can explore blockchain for secure record-keeping in land ownership, procurement, and taxation. Additionally, adopting tools seen in New Zealand, where citizens can monitor government spending online, promotes public oversight.
Also, for the corruption that is happening on the road by traffic, the government should implement traffic cameras & cashless tolls, which eliminate the need for cash exchanges, a common source of bribery, and reduce the number of people on the road who only wait for the fines from the conductors, as more road mistakes will be visible and charged from the road camera system, and there will be less interactivity between the traffic and drivers, which is the source of corruption, as we can learn from Australia, Georgia, Portugal, and other countries that have succeeded in implementing this strategy.
Public awareness and participation
Singapore's success in combating corruption is underpinned by a strong culture of ethics and integrity, cultivated through public awareness campaigns and civic education. Tanzania can emulate this approach by investing in civic education programmes that promote ethical values and civic responsibility. By fostering a culture of integrity from an early age, Tanzania can nurture a generation of citizens committed to upholding ethical standards and resisting corrupt practices. Furthermore, media freedom, a culture of integrity, and a free press are essential for holding leaders accountable. Here, we can also learn from countries like Denmark and Finland. Protecting journalists by fostering an environment where journalists can investigate freely without fear of intimidation empowers the media to expose corruption together with Creating independent commissions with citizen participation to monitor police conduct and receive complaints from the public.
Conclusion
As Tanzania strives to achieve the 'Tanzania We Want,' the fight against corruption and fraud remains a pressing imperative. By drawing inspiration from top-ranking countries such as Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, and Singapore, Tanzania can adopt strategies to strengthen its anti-corruption framework. Through enhanced transparency and accountability, leveraging technology and innovation, and promoting public awareness and participation, Tanzania can pave the way towards a future characterized by integrity, fairness, and prosperity for all.
In the pursuit of the 'Tanzania We Want,' combating corruption and fraud stands as a paramount challenge. Corruption undermines social cohesion, hampers economic progress, and erodes trust in institutions. The top-ranked countries in the fight against corruption—Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, and Singapore—offer valuable lessons for Tanzania. Over the next 5–25 years, Tanzania can emulate strategies from these nations to foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and integrity within its own institutions. According to the 2022 report, Tanzania has a 38 CPI score compared to the top five countries, which start at 90, 87, 84, 83, and 82, respectively, and improved in 2023, where Tanzania scored 40 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean").
This places Tanzania at 87th out of 180 countries, indicating a moderate level of perceived corruption in the public sector. We define corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain, according to Transparency International, which can be in the form of behaviours like public servants taking money or demanding favours in exchange for services, politicians misusing public money or granting public jobs, contract with their sponsors, friends, and families without following procedures, or corporations bribing officials to get lucrative deals. And it affects society from different perspectives.
Over the next 5 to 25 years, a series of strategic changes and reforms could significantly bolster the fight against corruption and fraud, propelling Tanzania towards the "Tanzania We Want." As explained below
Strengthening Legal Frameworks and Institutions
In the immediate future, Tanzania must focus on reinforcing its legal frameworks and institutions responsible for combating corruption. This includes, first, enhancing legislation: updating existing laws and enacting new ones to close loopholes that allow corrupt practices to flourish. Secondly, empowering anti-corruption agencies: providing agencies like the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) with the necessary resources, autonomy, and authority to investigate and prosecute corruption cases effectively; also, the head of these agencies should not be appointed by the president to make them impartial and free from political influence, ensuring fair application of the law.
Thirdly, Judicial Reforms: Implementing reforms to ensure the judiciary is independent, impartial, and free from political influence, thus guaranteeing fair trials for those accused of corruption, Fouth Clearly define traffic laws, fines, and procedures for driver interactions with police. This reduces ambiguity and makes it harder for officers to exploit loopholes for bribes and Providing competitive wages and comprehensive training for traffic police to reduce the incentive for bribery Last but not least, supporting the Anti-Corruption Voices Foundation, PCCB clubs in schools and universities, and other institutions that focus on addressing the issue of corruption would empower a dedicated group already making a positive impact on anti-corruption education in Tanzania.
Transparency and Accountability
One of the key strategies employed by top-ranking countries is a robust system of transparency and accountability. Denmark, for instance, boasts transparent government processes and strict enforcement of anti-corruption laws. Tanzania can emulate this approach by implementing mechanisms such as open data initiatives, where government spending and decision-making processes are made publicly accessible, and by ensuring government operations are transparent by making information readily available to the public. This includes open budgets, public procurement processes, and financial disclosures by public officials. By enhancing transparency, Tanzania can empower its citizens to hold public officials accountable for their actions. Moreover, Finland's emphasis on independent oversight institutions, such as the Office of the Chancellor of Justice, plays a crucial role in combating corruption. Tanzania could establish similar institutions tasked with investigating allegations of corruption and ensuring the impartial enforcement of anti-corruption laws. By bolstering institutional capacity and independence, Tanzania can strengthen its anti-corruption framework and build public trust.
Technology and innovation
New Zealand's success in combating corruption is partly attributed to its embrace of technology and innovation. The country utilizes digital platforms for government services, reducing opportunities for corrupt practices. Tanzania can leverage technology to streamline bureaucratic processes, minimize human interaction, and reduce the scope for corruption. For example, implementing e-government solutions for public service delivery can enhance efficiency and accountability while also reducing opportunities for bribery and fraud. In fact, we have the e-government solution, but the government still fails to centralize all systems to communicate, resulting in a lack of commitment to ensuring the effectiveness of these solutions.
Additionally, Norway's innovative use of data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and prevent corruption offers valuable insights for Tanzania. By harnessing the power of data, Tanzania can identify patterns of corruption, target resources effectively, and enhance risk management strategies. For instance, deploying AI-powered systems to analyze financial transactions can help detect irregularities and suspicious activities, enabling authorities to take more timely action. Blockchain technology is the world's fastest-growing technology, and now Tanzania can explore blockchain for secure record-keeping in land ownership, procurement, and taxation. Additionally, adopting tools seen in New Zealand, where citizens can monitor government spending online, promotes public oversight.
Also, for the corruption that is happening on the road by traffic, the government should implement traffic cameras & cashless tolls, which eliminate the need for cash exchanges, a common source of bribery, and reduce the number of people on the road who only wait for the fines from the conductors, as more road mistakes will be visible and charged from the road camera system, and there will be less interactivity between the traffic and drivers, which is the source of corruption, as we can learn from Australia, Georgia, Portugal, and other countries that have succeeded in implementing this strategy.
Public awareness and participation
Singapore's success in combating corruption is underpinned by a strong culture of ethics and integrity, cultivated through public awareness campaigns and civic education. Tanzania can emulate this approach by investing in civic education programmes that promote ethical values and civic responsibility. By fostering a culture of integrity from an early age, Tanzania can nurture a generation of citizens committed to upholding ethical standards and resisting corrupt practices. Furthermore, media freedom, a culture of integrity, and a free press are essential for holding leaders accountable. Here, we can also learn from countries like Denmark and Finland. Protecting journalists by fostering an environment where journalists can investigate freely without fear of intimidation empowers the media to expose corruption together with Creating independent commissions with citizen participation to monitor police conduct and receive complaints from the public.
Conclusion
As Tanzania strives to achieve the 'Tanzania We Want,' the fight against corruption and fraud remains a pressing imperative. By drawing inspiration from top-ranking countries such as Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, and Singapore, Tanzania can adopt strategies to strengthen its anti-corruption framework. Through enhanced transparency and accountability, leveraging technology and innovation, and promoting public awareness and participation, Tanzania can pave the way towards a future characterized by integrity, fairness, and prosperity for all.
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