Fed up with the rampant corruption
in Tanzania, foreign donors are threatening to reduce their aid, according to
an All Africa
report. The frustrated donors include Canada, Denmark, the European
Commission, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden,
Switzerland, Britain and the World Bank.
Although Tanzania officially has a
zero-tolerance policy on corruption and misuse of public funds, the policy
rarely results in prosecution. The government claims lack of sufficient
evidence prevents it from bringing infractions to court. Others say the
government itself is corrupt, and therefore cannot be counted on to properly
handle corruption.
Recently, corruption has been
alleged within TANESCO, the state-run power company; the health ministry; the
energy and minerals ministry; and the Tanzania ports authority.
Donor countries say the government
has been very slow in working through these cases. Still, analysts say the
government knows the countries aren’t likely to withdraw their aid.
According to Azaveli Rwaitama, a
political analyst at the University of Dar es Salaam, ”…aid is a strategic
way of finding new partners and also a way to push through their various
policies.”
Tanzania receives more aid per
capita than any other country in the world. Foreign donors pledged $560 million
to Tanzania in 2013.
“There has been stagnation in the
fight against corruption,” said Lennarth HjelmĂ„ker, the Swedish ambassador
to Tanzania, who chairs the foreign donors group. The group has vowed to keep
track of how corruption is being handled in the country.
Not all corruption can or should be
handled by the courts, he said. Civil sanctions — such as warnings,
suspensions, demotions and dismissal of those found to engage in corrupt
activities — don’t need to go through the judicial system and can be dealt with
much more quickly.
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