Caleb M Fundanga: The role of professionals in economic development
Remarks by Mr Caleb M Fundanga, Governor of the Bank of Zambia, at the Annual National
Development Conference of the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research, Lusaka,
28 November 2009.
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Hon Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane
The Permanent Secretary Budget and Economic affairs, Mr Emmanuel Ngulube
ZIPAR Executive Director - Mwilola Imakando
Distinguished Guests,
Members of the Press
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is indeed a pleasure for me to be invited to this very important gathering to give a Scope of
the Conference.
The central theme of my address today is the role that professionals are expected to play in
economic development in general and in the provision of public goods and services in
particular. You will agree with me that the levels of professionalism in our country has
somewhat declined in the recent past. Nowadays, it is not rare to hear of corrupt practices
and unethical conduct in the both the public and private sectors. This has no doubt
compromised professionalism.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as you are aware, professionalism entails possessing specialist
knowledge and following a standard of conduct based on ethics that govern the use of this
knowledge when providing a service to the public. Professionals provide essential and
valuable services to any society. It is for this reason that the public depend on them more
and more as economies advance. Therefore, professional status is an implied social contract
to provide a service over and above normal duties. In this regard, a professional is viewed as
one who carries additional moral responsibility and is honest, objective, impartial and with
high integrity.
Mr Chairman, the importance of a professional civil service in Zambia cannot be
overemphasised. If we are to succeed economically as well as socially, we need to
demonstrate appropriate levels of professionalism. A professional is open to views of others
and are objective and their decisions are made in the best interest of the country. As
professional in Zambia we need to evaluate our performance and aim to constantly improve.
We need to see ourselves as part of the solution rather than the problem. Further, it is
important to realise that civil service is a key component of Government as it supports the
formulation and implementation of government policies and service delivery to the public. A
professional civil service also ensures that government objectives and goals are achieved in
an effective and efficient manner thus assuring confidence to the public.
In order to carry out their duties, professionals need to be guided by a code of conduct which
stipulates the core values and responsibilities of the profession. The code of conduct is
usually developed by the profession to guide and to prevent exploitative behaviour and to
preserve the integrity of the profession. The code sets a framework for meeting standards
and provides disciplinary guidelines for unprofessional behaviour. However, it must be
understood that codes of conduct are not only meant to serve as a disciplinary guidebook but
also outline ideal ethical standards. In order to be effective, Codes of Conduct should be
understood and used by all professionals in their day to day activities.
It is therefore pertinent for the civil service to develop appropriate codes of conduct that meet
the expectations of the public. It is the duty of Government to ensure that the civil service is
aware of this code of conduct and its values. In advanced countries such as Japan, Italy and
Singapore the importance of the code of conduct is strongly upheld at all levels of the public
service. This has contributed to a strong, independent and impartial civil service, whatever
their political persuasions, that is able to serve different governments in line with the
requirements of the code of conduct.
In order to enhance professionalism in both public and private sectors, it is key that
professions demonstrate high ethical standards and values. I therefore urge all of us
professionals gathered here today to take ethics seriously in order to enhance efficient
delivery of services to our people. A robust and strong level of ethics can be achieved by
providing ethics training and sensitisation as a component of continuous professional
development. Although qualified professionals may be competent in their fields, it is vital to
test their ethical knowledge. Equally there is need to promote Integrity at all levels of civil
service.
Ladies and Gentlemen, our country needs professionals with high levels of social and moral
awareness so that all of us are aware of the moral obligations and potential impact of our
thinking, decisions and actions. We need to be good role models for others in behaviour,
attitude and relationships. Let us endeavour to act in a way that is professional and that
retains the confidence of the public at all times.
I thank you for your attention.