NBS moves on RTD corruption
NBS Bank, which operates its services at the four regional offices of the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DTSS), has intervened in an ongoing corruption where the bank officials were colluding with RTSS officials to get bribes from people who were applying for road traffic documentation.
This is contained in a letter that The Daily Times has seen, addressed to DRTSS Director Jacques Manong’a titled ‘Concerns on ‘Corruptive’ practices at the Offices of Road Traffic and Safety Services’ written by the bank’s Head of Personal and Business Banking Mercus Chigoga.
“Reference is made to the conversation that NBS Chief EO had with the Vice President on 08th September 2015, where the Vice President expressed his concerns on NBS staff members that are based at RTSS offices to make collections on the Directorate’s behalf being involved in ‘corruptive’ practices in liaison with RTSS officials where people are paying money just to have their transactions processed,” the letter alleges.
It further says the bank’s CEO is not pleased with the news and precautionary measures have been taken in order to protect the bank’s reputation.
The bank has since come up with four interventions which Chigoga says will be effected immediately at all NBS Bank offices based at DRTSS’ four regions of Mzuzu, Lilongwe, Zomba and Blantyre.
“The bank’s tellers will be rotated on a monthly basis,” writes Chigoga in the letter whose reference is PBB/MC/tn/15.
The letter dated September 9, 2015 also states that the bank’s tellers will not allow DRTSS officials to bring transactions for other people for processing or allow the officials to jump the line with transactions for the teller to post.
“RTSS officials will not be allowed to go through the back office of the bank’s premises based at RTSS offices,” says Chigoga in the letter.
He then requests Manong’a’s good office to communicate the bank’s proposal to the regional officers in charge and encourage them to assist in implementing the new interventions.
Ever since government upgraded the system at the DRTSS called the Malawi Traffic Information System (Maltis), motorists have been complaining of delays.
The NBS CEO Bernadette Mandoloma, who has been copied the letter, asked for a questionnaire when asked to confirm.
Manong’a, however, said the issue is not about colluding but the problem is to do with human element.
“One would want to be assisted earlier than the other and they would go to officers that they know and as a result they would jump the queue,” he said.
Manong’a said the letter is a response to government which was not happy with the service delivery.
“It’s an issue where, as government, we expressed our unhappiness as to why it was being allowed to go on like that. We queried and they have responded and we have agreed in principle that there should be the rule of the queue which states that ‘first come, first served,” he said.
Public Relations Officer for the Public Service Reforms Management Unit Constance Kilimo said they have indeed heard of the development and called the bank’s decision as a welcome development.
“Considering all the efforts that are being made at the sector reform and with numerous outcries over the services at the Road Traffic, where you would spend hours and hours standing on the queue, this is a welcome development,” she said.
Kilimo said with this change, now they will be able to establish where the problems are in service delivery are emanating from.
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