Tanzania must not stop fighting poverty just to argue
By Nyasigo Kornel
Over a decade now, Tanzania has dedicated to sound, honest management within its public administration.
It has developed organizational model or para-government structures through Tanzania Global Development Center (TGDLC) and Tanzania Public Service College (TPSC) to strengthen the ethical conduct of public office holders and government employees.
Tanzania has introduced a number of initiatives to define an ethical infrastructure that encourages and promotes high standards of conduct by provision of knowledge on code of conduct, promotion of values, controlling wrong-doing, coordination and evaluation of ethical issues.
As it has been said by the Deputy Permanent Secretary President’s Office, Public Service Management Mr. George Yambesi at the closing ceremony of the courses on Leadership and ethics that the application of the imparted knowledge is yet to be fully utilized and its effect seen.
Yambesi said that indiscipline and unethical behavior is still very prevalent in the public service due to poor supervision despite numerous training programs including the leadership and Change management programs conducted so far.
According to Resident Representative of JICA Tanzania Office, Toshihiro Obata, the courses in ethics and leadership changes the mindsets and thus make government officials better public servants in line with new policy of “Ari Mpya, Kasi Mpya and Ngucu Mpya.”
Toshihiro argues that even though as a human being it is very difficult to change conducts radically, but the course will help the participants to review past performances and he hoped that the course would help to improve the services that will render to the public.
He said that we must not stop fighting poverty just to argue, as he quoted the Ashanti people of Ghana proverb that says that, “Two men in a burning house must not stop to argue.”
He continue to quote that Tanzania must not stop fighting poverty just to argue.
The program that has been established by Tanzania Public Service College (TPSC) and Tanzania Global Development Learning Center (TGDLC) and sponsored by JICA has intention of enhancing leadership excellence on ethical leadership for more than 300 government executives within three year time.

The purpose of the reforms undertaken in Tanzania over the past 10 years have been to make Tanzania's public institutions more efficient and more competitive. It meant to promote high standards and innovative organizational approaches focused on the achievement of results in order to provide Tanzanians with equitable, efficient, apolitical and courteous service, that meets their needs.

In particular, these reforms were aimed at establishing a public service in which the conduct of managers and employees is based on respect for the fundamental values.

However, this empowerment initiative of TGDLC and TPSC is coupled with an enhancement of strong, effective control mechanisms. In a workplace where government employees at all levels may be called upon to assess ethical issues in their areas of responsibility, maintaining an ethical cultural becomes a priority.

There are internal and external control mechanisms that can lead to disciplinary measures if wrongdoing is detected. These measures, as set out by Prevention of Corruption Bureau (PCB) and legislation, can range from reprimand to dismissal or discharge from the public service.
Parliament, parliamentary committees, independent/external auditors, (accountants in elected organizations and firms), legal tribunals and ethics offices at the provincial level are all qualified to exercise external controls.
Procedures and provisions are in place to notify agencies responsible for independent control of public service activities of misappropriation of funds, either through giving evidence of proof to PCB or complaints to parliamentary committees or to the Auditor General.
There is general procedures that helps the government in evaluation and monitoring of ethics these are proactive administration, the work of various special committees, internal audit reports and those of the Auditor General.
Others are as well as the redefinition of the policies by the governments, facilitate the improvement of management systems, particularly with regard to ethics.

The government tends to create public service tradition and culture, which ensures the independence and professionalism of government employees, and of its progressive and pragmatic approach to public service reform, based on cooperation with government employees.
The key ethical issues raised have concerned the interface between political and administrative responsibilities, that is, the relation between ministers and government employees, the freedom of expression of employees is still limited in Tanzania, and the right and obligation of government employees to refuse to obey illegal instructions is still a long walk to reach.

The TGDLC, TPSC and Leading Initiative Worldwide who are running the programs on ethics and leadership excellence in the executive branch will in preventing conflicts of interest on the part of Government employees, and to resolve those conflicts of interest that do occur through knowledge provision.

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