SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
THE Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) will not relent in devising strategies aimed at eradicating unethical conduct that leads to corruption, says Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Zindaba Soko.
Mr Soko, in his key note address during the official opening of the Integrity Committee Training Workshop facilitated by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said the agency was committed to the fight against corruption.
In a statement released by RTSA head of public relations Fredrick Mubanga, Mr Soko said his agency aimed at achieving its goal of transforming into a world class institution and supplementing government efforts in fighting corruption.
Mr Soko, elaborated that his office had set the tone against corruption high on the agenda and would make every effort to confront the scourge in accordance with the law by severely dealing with any member of staff engaging in corrupt activities.
He lauded the initiative to equip committee members with knowledge and tools for prevention of corruption in the Agency.
Mr Soko further highlighted that the agency was already implementing the whistleblower protection policy and the gift policy, interventions that uphold transparency hence exterminating corrupt activities.
He further said that the institution had revised the code of ethics, developed the conflict of interest guidelines and drafted the fraud policy, as well as the asset declaration policy.
He warned that if left unchecked, corruption could not only make it difficult for the public to access services from the agency, but also compromise the road safety profile of Zambia.
He said that such acts may result in flouting of road safety regulations particularly use of vehicles that were not road worthy and incompetent drivers among other offences.
“In this regard, I implore trainees to apply the knowledge acquired through the training programme to eradicate corrupt activities,” Mr Soko said.
Mr Soko said that the client service charter had been concluded and will enable clients know beforehand what they require and associated fees for them to obtain various services from RTSA.
He said implementing interventions such as the online payment system was also key in eradicating corruption through minimal human contact.
