Northern Province Acting Permanent Secretary, Beauty Undi-Phiri has bemoaned the growing tendency by some civil servants of altering their pay slips to acquire huge loans from lending institutions.
Ms Undi-Phiri says the vice is negatively affecting the living standards of civil servants and has left many highly indebted.
She disclosed that her office has been receiving numerous complaints from the police over the malpractice.
“Some civil servants are even conniving with some officers and those working in internet cafes to engage in this dubious activity, this is sad as it has left many highly indebted,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary said some civil servants use altered payslips to make it appear as though they are still within the 40 percent affordability threshold to secure another loan.
Ms, Undi-Phiri said this when a team from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) paid a courtesy call on her ahead of the stakeholder’s consultative workshop on the draft Criminal Assets Management Bill held in Kasama district.
“This is the reason why our civil servants are so indebted, because once they take those altered payslips, the banks feel they are still within the 40 percent threshold for another loan,” Ms Undi-Phiri said.
She has since appealed to the Anti-Corruption Commission to take keen interest and investigate the matter.
Ms Undi-Phiri also called for the need to capacitate the Provincial Integrity Committees that have been established in various institutions.
She said despite the orientation given to members, there is need for capacity build to ensure they understand their mandate.
“Those sitting in these committees should themselves have integrity. The mandate needs to be spelt out clearly to them because there is no way you can be in the committee and you have accusations of being corrupt,” she said.
And ACC Director General, Daphne Chabu called on stakeholders not to merely review the provisions of the bill but to consider whether the proposed framework is sufficiently robust, practical and responsive to the realities faced by institutions responsible for asset recovery.
Ms Chabu said the fight against corruption is multi sectoral and that ACC cannot succeed in isolation
“We require the collective efforts of all relevant institutions and stakeholders,” she charged.
Ms Chabu said this in a speech read on her behalf by ACC Director Investigations, Gibson Chizanda.
