Tunisian PM vows to fight corruption

Tunisia’s new government is mobilising to tackle corruption, a canker worm eating deep into the country.

According to some experts, exaggerated and unpunished corruption extending to many areas was practiced during Ben Ali’s regime making some citizens to start believing that corruption is a normal way of life.

Tunisia’s prime minister Yousseff Chahed expressed his concerns about the need for Tunisia to be governed on transparency principles during the fifth ministerial conference of Arab countries for integrity and the fight against corruption. He said this will begin with a change of mentality. “During the war on terror, we stand face to face with the enemy. We look at the enemy whereas in the war against corruption the enemy is hidden within the society. It’s purpose is not only to attack the general interest but also to destroy the trust between the state and its institutions,” Tunisian Prime minister, Youssef Chahed said.

He added that the fight against corruption is a non-negotiable principle in his government and announced that an independent body will be created to make the fight more effective.

Tunisian opposition members have been blasting the government for being unable to tackle corruption citing the implication of key ministers in some corruption scandals.

A survey by corruption watchdog Transparency International published in 2016 indicates that 62 percent of Tunisians consider that the government has failed in the fight against corruption.