The Minister of Local Government, Hon. Raphael Magyezi, has urged Local Government Accounting Officers (LGAO) to defend decentralization by intensifying the fight against corruption. He made this call while closing a meeting of Local Government Accounting Officers at Hotel Africana on Friday.
Hon. Magyezi highlighted that staff recruitment and land transactions have become major areas of concern regarding corruption in local governments. He emphasized that corruption is driven by greed, not low pay.
He advised the officers to find ways to supplement their incomes. “The income of a public officer is never enough. Have a side business. If you are busy, at least let your partner manage a side business to support the family,” he said.
Hon. Magyezi also informed the Accounting Officers that the government is planning to digitalize recruitment and procurement processes. This initiative aims to reduce human interaction, which often leads to bias and corruption.