Lack of substantive leadership at FIC directly undermines corruption fight – ActionAid

17th March 2022

Local

ActionAid Country Director Nalucha Ziba addresses journalists during a CSO and Church press briefing at Kapingila House in Lusaka on May 21, 2019 - Picture by Tenson Mkhala

Local

ActionAid Country Director Nalucha Ziba addresses journalists during a CSO and Church press briefing at Kapingila House in Lusaka on May 21, 2019 - Picture by Tenson Mkhala

ACTIONAID country director Nalucha Ziba has expressed concern over the delay to appoint a Financial Intelligence Centre Director General and Board.

In an interview, Ziba said the lack substantive of leadership at FIC directly undermined the fight against corruption.

“ActionAid Zambia notes with concern the delay in the appointment of the Director General and Board of the Financial Intelligence Center (FIC). As an organisation, we are concerned with the delay in the appointment of a Board and subsequently, the Director General. The gap in leadership at a key institution charged with the responsibility of fighting financial crimes raises concerns as to the ability of the center to investigate and act on all the illicit financial flaws that have been happening since the last director General left. The lack of leadership at FIC directly undermines the fight against corruption which the government claims to be seriously clamping down,” Ziba said.

“The Republican President, during the 2022 state of the Nation Address on National Values and Principles indicated that government had declared a war against corruption, and that His government would take a zero tolerance approach to corruption. The delay in the appointment of the Board and Director General at FIC counters this pronouncement by the President because the Financial Intelligence Center over the recent past has been key in investigating and exposing financial crimes by the politically exposed persons which is key in the fight against corruption.”

She called on the Minister of Finance and National Planning to speed up the process of appointing a Board.

“As an organisation that champions Social Accountability, we call upon the Minister of Finance and National Planning to speed up appointing a Board and FIC Director General in line with the provisions of the Financial Intelligence Center Act. The delayed appointment of Board Members and Director General directly flouts Section 3(4) of the Financial Intelligence Center Act which adequately provides for the avoidance of vacancies in the board,” said Ziba.