Discretionary power behind graft by govt officials, says ACC chief
UNB
Chairman of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Iqbal Mahmood on Tuesday said the discretionary power of public officials is the key reason behind corruption in public services, reports UNB.
So, the discretionary power of government officials should be curtailed to check corruption, he told a seminar in the capital.
Fareast International University arranged the seminar titled Corruption and Development: Conceptual Review and Empirical Assessment at its conference hall. Criticising the role of government servants, Iqbal Mahmood said they are supposed to provide services to common people, but they like better to be masters. Sometimes, many of them turn as a predator rather than being a protector. He said government officials want to provide services to people by taking money and thinking them as their clients, and they also think that they are getting their salary as they carry out jobs. The existing government system is responsible for such a situation. So, a systemic change is an urgent in government activities, the ACC chief said.
Iqbal Mahmood said political leadership sows dreams and the government officials implement those. The dreams of political leadership will never turn into reality if transparency and accountability of the government officials could not be ensued, he added.
