IGG rallies taxpayers against corrupt civil servants

The Inspector General of Government has told Ugandans to stop entertaining public officials who are taking advantage of official government rules and procedures to extort money.

Speaking during the third Institute of Corporate Governance Awards last Friday, Ms Beti Kamya, said it is high time Ugandans stopped entertaining nonsense from civil servants who are paid salaries by the taxes they pay.

“As you might know, the ombudsman function is at the core of service delivery. Whether you are a public employee or government employee, your contract with government is that you will work hard, obey rules, pay your taxes, and in turn, the government will give you the services that you deserve,” she said.

She castigated government officials who leave their jackets hanging in offices, yet most of the time they are not seated at their desks. She said such employees are inconsiderate of inconveniences citizens, especially those who travel from upcountry, go through to get services in public offices. 

Ms Kamya said such employees promote corruption by tossing citizens around until they are paid a bribe to provide a service.

Last Friday, Institute of Corporate Governance Uganda held the Third Corporate Governance Awards which attracted 59 participating companies. 

Mr Geoffrey Kihuguru, the president, said the awards started in 2018 to highlight the importance of good corporate governance and also showcase institutions that have made corporate governance a core part of their operations.

“The role of corporate governance in building resilient organisations cannot be overemphasized. The world is now dynamic and shrinking due to digitisation. The board needs to have operating standards which are understood across oceans corporate governance is good for robust health of any good organisation,” he said.