By Balewa Zyuulu
Opposition Green Party Leader Peter Sinkamba says the increase in corruption related cases in the mining sector as revealed by the Zambia Bribes Payers Index is as a result of the disharmony in the sector for the past three years.
The 2022 Zambia Bribes Payers Index produced by Transparency International Zambia-TIZ and the Anti-Corruption Commission-ACC shows that the private sector received bigger bribes as compared to the public sector during the past 12 months and the mining sector is topping among the 9 sectors surveyed in terms of probability of experiencing bribery.
Mr Sinkamba says to reduce corruption in the mining sector, there is need to build stronger, fairer and more democratic processes for granting mining licenses, fixing the flaws in the system, and ensure the system works better for the community and the environment.
He says transparency helps stop and prevent corruption by enabling the public to hold government and companies accountable hence the need for companies and government to commit fully to transparency and accountability.
Further, Mr Sinkamba observes that the process for obtaining a mining permit is open to corruption thereby impairing how activities are monitored and regulated, which undermines the collection of taxes, and harming the community and environment.
CREDIT: PHOENIX NEWS
