African Commonwealth anti-graft agencies meet in Malawi

By Moses Michael-Phiri

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AA) - The seventh meeting of African Commonwealth heads of anti-graft agencies opened Monday in Malawi with calls for stepping up the fight against corruption.

Roger Koranteng, governance and anti-corruption adviser to the Commonwealth Secretariat, said it is high time that countries put in place strategies that can help eliminate corruption.

“We will commit to help African Commonwealth countries fight corruption. But it’s up to the agencies to step up the fight,” he told participants in the two-day meeting in the town of Mangochi in the southeastern African country.

“Corruption is a serious problem in Africa. It is a cancer that threatens the development of the continent and requires united action by all stakeholders in society. Hence, all the anti-corruption agencies under the Commonwealth member countries need to gang up, stay vigilant, and rise above the horizon and condemn corruption in its strongest terms.”

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Africa is annually losing more than $50 billion through illicit financial outflows. Out of this, more than $30 billion stems from “commercial transactions,” including tax avoidance and tax evasion.

The continent bears estimated losses of $2-$3 billion annually due to corruption, bribery and fraud, according to Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index 2016.

Held under the theme “Coordinating national anti-corruption action in Commonwealth,” the meeting aims to come up with ideas and strategies on how countries can best collaborate in the fight against corruption, according to Lucas Kondowe, the head of Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau.

In an interview on the sidelines of the meeting, Kondowe told Anadolu Agency that the meeting will also enable the heads of anti-corruption agencies in Commonwealth Africa to share experiences.

“The meeting provides us a platform for sharing information on emerging innovations and best practices, experiences and challenges that we face in the fight against corruption,” he said.

The Association of Anti-corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa is a network of national agencies that promotes collaboration and peer learning.

The network, which has 18 member states, had their first meeting in Ghana in May 2011.