ACB's Senior Corruption Preventing Officer Maureen Mwalabu said this during a day-long workshop organized by Employers’ Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM) on Friday in Blantyre.
The workshop was held under the theme 'Internal Controls Master Class'.
“In terms of detecting fraud and corruption in the country, there are systems and procedures most organisations have put in place, but the challenge is enforcing those systems and procedures,” said Mwabula who demonstrated how internal controls can be implemented within existing processes to prevent and detect fraud and errors.
Mwalabu further said management at every organisation has a big role to play in order to maintain effective internal control by making sure that everyone at the organisation is aware of systems and procedures in place. She also thanked the role media in the country play to deal with the virus of fraud and corruption.
On his part, one of the main speakers at the workshop Kezzie Mkandawire said organisations should have internal controls that should help to achieve company’s objectives.
“The lasting solution to fraud and corruption is to make sure that the environment at every institution is conducive for internal controls. People should also have high integrity,” said
Mkandawire, adding that internal controls are important in managing fraud risk at the organisation as controls demonstrate how the organisation can bring down the fraud virus within the operating system of people.
Andy Chitete who was also among the main speakers at the workshop said good governance is very important for internal control if the organisation is to grow.
“If the tone is good at the top then all controls set at the organisation work well because people take example of what the board and management are doing,” said Chitete.
Some of the institutions and organisations which attended the workshop include Eastern produce, Dignities International, Group 4 Security, DBO, CCAP Nkhoma Synod, First Merchant Bank (FMB), International Christian Assembly and National Resources College.
