LUSAKA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- A consortium of civil society organizations on Tuesday called on Zambian President Edgar Lungu to come up with a roadmap on ending the continued abuse of public resources.
According to a latest report released by the Financial Intelligence Center, a government agency that tracks financial crimes, Zambia incurred losses in 2017 linked to financial crimes such as corruption and tax evasion, among others, amounting to a record of 4.5 billion Zambian Kwacha (about 450 million U.S. dollars).
According to the report, tax evasion was ranked the highest, followed by corruption, money laundering and fraud.
But in a statement release on Tuesday, the civil society organizations said the continued abuse of public resources was a clear indication of continued existence of weak internal financial controls.
"The financial intelligence report makes sad reading as it shows how weak internal financial systems have become. It is disappointing that people who are supposed to protect financial resources are in the forefront of abusing the resources," the statement said.
According to the organizations, the Zambian leader needs to come out clearly on how his government intends to put a plug on the continued abuse of public resources.
The organizations further expressed concern that officials at the Financial Intelligence Center were being threatened with dismissals for merely revealing the current state of abuse of public resources.
The organizations wondered why a whistle blower should be threatened instead of being commended for revealing what was happening with the country's financial resources.
The Financial Intelligence Center has come under attack following the release of the report, with some senior officials from the governing party calling for its disbandment.
The organizations commended the Financial Intelligence Center for the effort and courage it has exhibited over the past four years in exposing financial crimes.
"They have taken up a task many Zambians are scared to address. When it seems unfashionable and scary to talk about corruption in some circles, the Financial Intelligence Center has demonstrated leadership and shown that there will always be some people who will put the country's interest first," the statement said.
