Former Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Hawa Ndilowe has asked the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to scrutinise functions and restructure institutional integrity committees (IICs) if transparency and accountability are to be inculcated in the country.
The ACB supported the introduction of IICs, citing them as a tool for mainstreaming the anti-corruption fight within government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Speaking at a meeting which the graft-busting body organised in Lilongwe, Ndilowe said the committees must also be empowered to do their job independently.
“We hear that we have these committees in different institutions but how functional are these committees? People need to know about the existence of these committees, their functions and roles. Let the nation understand the progress made by these committees in the fight against corruption,” Ndilowe said.
However; ACB Director General Martha Chizuma backed IICs, saying they are functioning properly.
She said there has been a marked improvement since 2022, when the committees “were so dormant that I had to report to Parliament” on the matter.
“From where I am speaking, not a day goes by without me receiving a report from the IICs in my office. The committees are currently doing a good job.
“However, we cannot totally dismiss the need for restructuring the committees now and again,” Chizuma said.
