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Message |
Aidworkers Exchange
| | Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 04:26 pm: | |
Aid Workers Exchange - August 6, 2002
Bribes and how to avoid them
by Barney Mayhew.
Bribes, dash, baksheesh, backhanders, sweeteners, kickbacks. They all mean the same thing: giving someone something that isn’t included in the official price. Just the number of names for it gives a clue to how widespread the practice is. [read full article]
Do you have other reasons why not to pay bribes? (Or why to pay them?!)
Do you have a favourite way of avoiding bribes?
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Sebastien FESNEAU
| | Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 04:27 pm: | |
I appreciated Barney's paper on bribes.
Another possible discussion would be on corruption inside the organization - amounts are usually higher than the tips aidworkers can give to the local authorities - and it is not easy to deal with. once the wolf is inside the stable... |
James Thurlow
| | Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 04:29 pm: | |
An excellent discussion and one that often provokes polarised views. Betty's comment on a local culture is a good point, so often local cultures are seen as sacred, something not to be challenged or discussed. On one occasion one of my staff was making it well known that he knew how to keep his house in order and regularly beat his wife, this was received with much sympathy by the other male staff. When challenged the response was "its our culture".
Aid workers need to challenge bribes certainly when they are used against the back drop being local culture. With that point I'm not sure I can wholly agree with the sentiments in this forum - I do believe that some situations do dictate, with care the use of small fees. I was one of a few aid workers who went in to Liberia following the civil strife in 1996 with no functional government and complete anarchy on the streets, I was surprised to see customs and security staff at the airport in that situation their only income was the "fee, something small, etc" without this income they probably would not be there.
In my (humble) perspective if its $1 or 2 for an airport official in a situation that is generally mutually agreed by aid agencies as needing this input its fine, if its $2000 to get a vehicle released from customs that's definitely a bribe and something that should be ardently discouraged, as Barney rightly points out once a precedent is set its difficult to go back.
As a further point of caution in regards to this topic, I have seen a number of expats take quite strong views on this subject, resulting in local staff dispensing the sweeteners (and not telling the expat) to make the programme happen. Be sure your (or agency) policy on the subject is workable with your project objectives, and be explicitly clear with your local staff as to your expectations when confronted with such situations.
No worries and have a good day.
James Thurlow |
Linda Poteat
| | Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 04:30 pm: | |
Offer Condoms instead of Cigarettes!
As most of us in public health do not like to encourage smoking, rather than carrying cigarettes to give away to grumpy soldiers at checkpoints (which is kind of like giving a bribe anyway), we like to give away CONDOMS! Soldiers like them and for us it is a public health measure. Win-Win! |
Betty Muragori
| | Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 04:31 pm: | |
Local culture" is no excuse
Thanks for the interesting Email. I feel the need to respond to one of the excuses that people give for giving or receiving bribes. That it is part of the local culture. I really dislike this excuse. If the so-called local culture is examined, there may be little "local culture" left intact. A new culture in most cases has emerged and the people who use the "local culture" argument usually use situations to meet their own personal needs and desires.
I am conducting a study on corruption right now and it really is upsetting how people use the "local culture" argument to benefit themselves and also when they are taking someone else' rights away. I think that we all have to be more honest and rigorous in our analysis of situations to determine which part is culture and which one is not.
Also cultures are not static they change to meet the needs of societies as they involve and change for better or for worse.
In many African communities for example, those individuals who experienced upward mobility through education or business for example had an obligation to literally "share their success". This meant that they were/are responsible for "uplifting" their relatives and other people from their ethnic group. When sharing this success, the issue is the following:
1. Does the person use their own resources to give relatives and clans people opportunities for a good start in life? E.g. do they use their own money to pay school fees?
2. Or do they use public resources to "uplift" their relatives. E. G. Use their position to get government bursaries or scholarships for their relatives or get jobs for relatives in their own ministries that the relative may not be qualified for.
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Terry Clayton
| | Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 04:32 pm: | |
Another reason not to pay bribes
An excellent and thought provoking article. May I add one more possible reason for not paying bribes? It tends to encourage bad accounting practices within an organization. The money to pay a bribe has to come either out of the project budget or out of a staffer's pocket. Project budgets don't have a line item for 'bribes' so it whatever the sum, it has to be 'disguised' as something else. If out of a staffer's pocket, it has to be 'disguised' on a personal expense claim. Some call it 'creative accounting'. Other's call it 'cooking' or 'fudging' the books. Any way you look at it, the practice draws people into the culture of corruption and the loss of transparency. |
Jan Davis
| | Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 04:33 pm: | |
I liked your article on "bribes" on aidworkers.net and fully support much of
what you said. In all my travels I cannot remember ever giving a bribe, apart from a friendly gift of some food on a checkpoint. "A smile is a curve that straightens many things" but beware the "sickly American smile that doesn't mean a thing". This was a comment from an eminent professor of anthropology who gave the contextual and cultural presentations on the Caucasus SMW recently. Judging by the lack of smiles in Russia and the Caucasus people probably almost envy those who smile and might feel like wiping it off your face if over-used in a too familiar way! |
Andrew Cates
Guest
| | Posted on Friday, March 19, 2004 - 05:16 pm: | |
In my three years in CdI I found the most critical thing with policemen was what you said before a bribe was asked for. Explain the problems in your life first and they never asked for anything
http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk
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abbey
Guest
| | Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 01:56 pm: | |
best thing is to organize everything according to the local law, so before the mission is established the law-book should be accurately examined.
the things that can force you to the point when you are not sure if the smile can make it:
1. papers are not ok, neither of organization nor of the expatriates represented (do not forget to register your ngo in the region and hire proffessional lawers/ if you are the foreigner you are required to register in the district police dept. etc.)
2. unpaid taxes (violations of local labor code and tax law, so even at the mission establishment level hire professsional accountant and HR)
3. unlicensed software in the computers
4. fire safety in the office
5. different permittions that should be obtained from local authorities (e.g. permittion to work in the tent camps, construction works, different licences etc)
6. you got the truck with x-mass toys on the border and the custom wont let it in and it's 24/12 already - your next step? go the the custom office and smile them over? |
Hamish Goldie-Scot
Member
Username: Hamishgs
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 02:02 pm: | |
Discussion on this issue does not appear to have yet included reference to three important points:
1. It is now a crime for a corporation or national of an OECD country to pay or authorise a bribe, even if the offence takes place entirely outside that OECD country. Thus someone working for a UK-based organisation in Africa can be charged in London for having turned a blind eye to bribes paid by a local agent.
2. UK law now places an obligation on UK Government officials to report suspicions or allegations of overseas bribery relating directly or indirectly to UK nationals or companies. DFID and FCO staff based in developing countries are required to take this obligation seriously.
3. UK law as it stands makes no distinction between a bribe (paying an official in order to incline him to act contrary to the known rules of honesty and integrity) and a facilitation payment (paying an official in order to incline him to carry out his responsibilities in a timely and effective manner).
Taken together, this suggests that, in theory if not in practice, it is now an offence under UK law to pay a local agent to help ensure that imported goods are released from customs in a timely manner. The organisations most likely to be affected are those with the highest standards of transparency, which report such payments in their accounts. On a more positive note, British overseas missions are in theory now in a position to provide local advice to UK organisations facing demands for bribes or facilitation payments. |
Mohammad Shoaib Wali
Member
Username: Shoaibwali
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Friday, November 18, 2005 - 02:27 pm: | |
Wonder why there are questions of bribe. Sweet words and better communication compete can always help you to avoid this.I strongly believe that you can do so having the above traits with you. No need to worry about it |
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