Corruption Getting Worse - All Over World
LONG before Transparency International came into the scene, our own Madam Indira Gandhi had declared, “Corruption is a global phenomenon”
The 2010 Global Corruption Barometer surveys more than 91,000 people in 86 countries and territories. It focuses on petty bribery, perceptions of public institutions and views of whom people trust to combat corruption.
++ The survey showed that in the past 12 months one in four people paid a bribe to one of nine institutions and services, from health to education to tax authorities. The police are named the most frequent recipient of bribes, according to those surveyed.
++ Almost half of all respondents say they paid bribes to avoid problems with the authorities and a quarter say it was to speed up processes.
++ The biggest number of reported bribery payments in 2010 is in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cameroon, India, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, Palestine, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Uganda where more than 50 per cent of people surveyed paid a bribe in the past 12 months.
++ Poorer people are twice as likely to pay bribes for basic services, such as utilities, medical services and education, than wealthier people.
++ Corruption is a regressive tax. This injustice must be addressed. The marginalised and poor remain the most vulnerable to extortion.
++ Sadly, few people trust their governments or politicians. Eight out of 10 say political parties are corrupt or extremely corrupt. The civil service and parliament are considered the next most corrupt institutions.