Answer to Question #166052 in Management for Manyela

Question

The Ministry of Health in Zambia has in the recent past been rocked by scandals that have brought to light weaknesses in public sector governance, accountability and financial management.

“In June 2020, Zambian investigative journalists broke a story about alleged irregularities in a US$17 million procurement of health kits the year before. Journalists found that the winning company, Honey Bee Pharmacy Limited, was not even registered at the time of contract’s award. Previously, our analysis had shown that the gaps existing in the Ministry of Health’s handling of the COVID-19 donations were a potential conduit for corruption. Perturbed by new revelations surrounding the same Ministry, Transparency International Zambia called upon the Auditor General to investigate possible misconduct. Since then, more evidence has come to light, as the Auditor General and the Anti-Corruption Commission have pursued journalists’ findings…..The Ministry of Health scandal is symptomatic of the endemic nature of corruption in today’s Zambia – particularly in the area of public procurement – and of the devastating dangers it poses not just to the growth of the economy but to the very lives of citizens.” Transparency international. https://www.transparency.org/

A) Assess the governance arrangement in the public sector in Zambia. Your answer should include detailed arrangements at the Ministry of Health. (50 marks)

B) Provide PRACTICAL recommendations aimed at enhancing governance and accountability in the Ministry of Health. (50 Marks)

Answer 1

A.   Lack of transparency in the allocation of resources is a corruption associated practice in public sector in Zambia. Human rights and democratic norms are violated for the emergence response to the COVID – 19 pandemic. Corruption diverts funds from services which are essentials such as the healthcare leaving the country vulnerable to deal with the public health crises.

 

B.    Mainstreaming anti-corruption policies enhance governance in the ministry of health by conducting corruption risk analyses. Also increasing transparency in public contracting by timely publication of contacting data in the open format. Strengthening audit and oversight institutions and protecting journalist as they check corruption.