CANADA HAS SUSPENDED A $14.5-MILLION AID PROGRAMME TO THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AFTER LEARNING THAT EMBEZZLERS HAVE STOLEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM FOREIGN DONORS, INCLUDING THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT.
SEVERAL OTHER DONORS, INCLUDING SWEDEN AND THE NETHERLANDS, ALSO SUSPENDED AID TO ZAMBIA AS A RESULT OF THE CORRUPTION SCANDAL, WHICH BEGAN LAST YEAR WHEN A WHISTLE-BLOWER REVEALED THAT ZAMBIAN OFFICIALS WERE STEALING AID MONEY AND AUDITORS CONFIRMED THAT ABOUT $7-MILLION WAS STOLEN, MOSTLY FROM FOREIGN DONORS.
CANADA’S AID AGENCY, THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, LOST ABOUT $880,000 DUE TO THE EMBEZZLEMENT, AFTER ITS AID AGENCY SPENT MORE THAN $30-MILLION ON PROGRAMMES IN ZAMBIA LAST YEAR.
THE BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, THE LANCET, HAS ESTIMATED THAT FOREIGN DONORS HAVE POSTPONED OR CANCELLED $273-MILLION (U.S.) IN AID TO ZAMBIA BECAUSE OF CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CANADIAN SUSPENSION.
CANADA’S FOUR-YEAR AID PROGRAMME TO THE ZAMBIAN HEALTH MINISTRY WAS INTENDED TO HELP IN TRAINING AND RECRUITING MORE STAFF FOR ITS HOSPITALS AND HEALTH PROGRAMMES.
A SPOKESMAN FOR CIDA SAID THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT HAS REIMBURSED MOST OF THE EMBEZZLED MONEY BY PUTTING AN EQUIVALENT AMOUNT INTO THE HEALTH PROGRAMMES THAT CANADA WAS ASSISTING.
BUT 18 MONTHS AFTER THE EMBEZZLEMENT WAS DISCOVERED AND THE SUSPENSION BEGAN, CIDA HAS STILL NOT RESUMED ITS AID TO THE HEALTH MINISTRY.
THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT HAS PROMISED TO INTRODUCE TIGHTER ACCOUNTING MEASURES AT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH TO PREVENT SUCH FRAUD IN THE FUTURE.
But when contaced for a comment, minsitry of health permenent secretary dr peter mwaba expressed shock at the revelations and questioned where they came from.
Dr Mwaba disclosed to radio pheonix that Canada like other donors has already released the money to the ministry.
He stated that 2011 ministry of health budget is government funded and not from donor.
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Government has allocated 8.6% of the national budget to the ministry of health in the 2011 national budget which stands for over 1.772 trillion kwacha.
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