Corruption and Experiences of Different Countries

    Corruption and Experiences of  DifferentMembers of the public bureaucracy are no less
Countriescorrupt. Measures taken to combat corruption like
    The experiences of a number of countriessetting up of inquiry commissions have failed. These
pertaining to corruption are reviewed in this sub-section.commissions' findings have not been taken seriously by
Cross-country survey covers nature, scope, type ofsuccessive governments and consequently their
corruption as well as the measures taken to curbrecommendations have gathered dust. At the same
corruption and outcome of such efforts. But it needstime, some of the commissions were created with a
to be stated that not all aspects of corruption havemala-fide and political intent. Corruption control is
been covered in the countries concerned due mostlypossible only with the adoption and implementation of
to the non-availability of information.four national agenda. They are: reforming the political
     In the Philippines the network of corruption inprocess, restructuring and reorienting the government
the public sector is rather extensive and covers pettymachinery, empowering the citizens and creating
fixers, workers at lower levels of the organizationalsustained public pressure for change (Guhan and Paul,
hierarchy to mid-level officials taking undue advantage1997). Under each a number of appropriate and timely
of their positions, and extending to the elite whoserecommendations are made to cleanse the
profit from corruption transactions with governmentwidespread corruption that exists in India at all levels
runs into millions of pesos but whose powerfultouching almost each and every governmental
positions render them almost untouchable by the lawinstitutions and their functionaries.
enforcement agencies (Alfiler, 1979). Six types of     Singapore and Hong Kong are two countries
corruption in the public sector of the Philippines havewhose success in effectively tackling corruption in the
been identified (Carino and Guzman, 1979). These are:public service is well-known.
tong, lagay or arreglo, retainer, favor, individualized and     When the People's Action Party (PAP) came
systematic corruption. Anti-graft and investigatoryto power in June 1959 it found a colonial corrupt
agencies appointed by a number of Philipino Presidentsbureaucracy in place. The PAP, which is still in power,
failed to effectively check corruption due torealized something had to be done to minimize
organizational instability, frequent changes in leadership,corruption in the Singapore Civil Service (SCS). Over a
political pressure in employee recruitment, public apathyperiod of time the PAP government introduced a
and strained relations with other branches andnumber of measures to curb corruption.
agencies of the government (Alfiler, 1979).     The then existing Prevention of Corruption
     In Uganda corruption is the outcome ofOrdinance was amended and replaced with the
self-aggrandizement, of unrealistically low remunerationPrevention of Corruption Act (POCA) to curb
for public servants and a closed political systemopportunities for corruption and to increase the penalty
(Ouma, 1991). Corruption has resulted in the loss offor corrupt behaviour (Quah, 1995:148). At the same
badly needed revenue and skilled manpower, distortedtime additional powers were given to the Corrupt
priorities of public policy and shifted scarce resourcesPractices Investigation Bureau by POCA. It is obvious
away from the public interest (Ouma, 1991). Naturally,that Singapore's anti-corruption strategy has been
distrust among different segment of the society haseffective because it is designed to remove two major
increased and despondency of the people-at-large hascauses of corruption - the incentives and opportunities
been excerbated.(Quah, 1989).
     In Ghana the way corruption has been     Corruption in Hong Kong public service had
institutionalized in the government is fascinating. In onebeen well-entrenched. Public officials were known to
ministry bribe money is divided in the following manner:make money utilizing their positions. But the situation
50% to the minister, 20% to the junior ministers, 10% tochanged drastically with the arrival of a new Governor,
go-between, 10% to the secretary of the political partySir Murray MacLehose, in 1973. He estabilished an
in power and the rest to an open cash fund kept byIndependent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
the minister for expenses like paying informers withinThe ICAC under the leadership of a distinguished
the ministry, providing gifts to individual visitors andformer public official was given a wide array of
maintaining attractive women around the office (Vine,powers. The ICAC had the power to arrest people on
1975). The causes for such widespread politicalsuspicion, search and seize without a warrant, require
corruption are: traditional contexts and effects ofinformation, freeze assets and property and prevent
colonialism; the new men who inherited politicalpeople from leaving the colony (Caiden, 1991b:249). The
leadership after independence; and bureaucraticCommission was assisted in its operations by five
transition from a colonial to an indigenous administrativeadvisory committees on Corruption, Operations
system. Political corruption took its toll in the form ofReview, Prevention, Community Relations and
waste of resources, instability and reduction in theComplaints, drawn from cross-section of the population
capacity of government (Vine, 1975).and reported directly to the Governor (Caiden,
     It is now commonly agreed that corruption has1991b:249). The ICAC was organized into three areas:
vitiated India’s public life like a cancer spreading(a) an operations department to investigate, arrest and
over a human body. All sectors, be they administrativehelp prosecute suspects; (b) a corruption prevention
or political or economic, have come under thedepartment to restructure government organizations to
ever-increasing onslaught of corruption. There arereduce opportunities for corruption; and (c) a
many reasons as to why this has happened. Politicalcommunity relations department to change
actors of all shades including ministers, legislators,people’s attitudes toward corruption (Caiden,
office-bearers of political parties, and other political1991b:249).
office-holders are involved in corruption (Padhay, 1986).