Code of Conduct Arises for Political Appointees

High-level government officials cannot receive gifts or overseas travel offers without getting approval from the Prime Minister, according to a new regulation that is in the making.

Under draft for the past year by the Federal Ethics & Anti-Corruption Commission, the bill outlines a code of conduct and ethical standards that public officials should adhere to. The code of conduct and ethical standards will be the first ever for the country.

The new code of conduct will regulate appointees at the Office of the Prime Minister, ministers, state ministers, the mayors of Addis Abeba and Dire Dawa city administrations and officials at the mayor's office of the two city administrations.

With the new regulation, which is expected to be active within three months, none of the government officials can accept gifts and overseas travel opportunities without the Prime Minister's approval, decide to hire any of their relatives or make procurements from companies with which they have affiliations. They will also be required to register properties they own with the Commission within 45 days of their appointments.

"These all are intended to avoid conflicts of interest that can lead to corruption," said Tesfaye Shambo, director of reform and good governance at the Commission, responding to Fortune.

The grand corruption that has been expanding in the country is the reason for the regulation, according to Tesfaye.

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), released by Transparency International in 2018, placed Ethiopia at 114 out of 180 countries. The report that ranks countries on a scale of zero for highly corrupt to 100 for the least corrupt awarded Ethiopia a score of 34.

Though the Commission was mandated to draft a code of conduct and ethical standards by its establishment proclamation 15 years ago, it never developed one.

"We drafted a bill a couple of years ago," he said, "but it could not be realised, as the officials at that time were unhappy with it and blocked the bill from being legislated."

Financed by the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Governance & Democratic Participation Programme, the bill was drafted by professionals from the Commission and external consultants. The five-year project is a multi-stakeholder programme launched in July 2017 and has been working with the Commission on 11 other ongoing projects.