One of the key factors restraining economic growth from its full potential in the region is corruption. Corruption eats away the moral fibre of a society and eventually ends up destroying the government, institution or the individual’s sense of ethics and integrity. This moral decay has fuelled enough anger in recent times regionally that long established governments and power blocks have changed. Several leaders have been forced out of office by a public willing to take no more.
But corruption is not confined to the region alone. In the annual study released by Transparency International (TI), the Corruption Perceptions Index indicates that corruption continues to devastate societies around the world. The study offers a score of individual countries and how corrupt their public sectors are seen to be. Two thirds of the 176 countries ranked scored below the median, indicating a major affliction with corruption. With such daunting numbers showing that public institutions need to be more transparent, and powerful officials more accountable, there is much to be done to arrest the tide against the proliferation of this disease.
Corruption is a globally recognised problem, and as stated by Cobus de Swardt, managing director of Transparency International, ‘Corruption is the world’s most talked about problem. The world’s leading economies should lead by example, making sure that their institutions are fully transparent and their leaders are held accountable. This is crucial since their institutions play a significant role in preventing corruption from flourishing globally.”
“Governments need to integrate anti-corruption actions into all public decision-making. Priorities include better rules on lobbying and political financing, making public spending and contracting more transparent and making public bodies more accountable to people,” added Huguette LaBelle, the Chair of Transparency International. “After a year of focus on corruption, we expect governments to take a tougher stance against the abuse of power. The Corruption Perceptions Index results demonstrate that societies continue to pay the high cost of corruption. Many of the countries where citizens challenged their leaders to stop corruption — from the Middle East to Asia to Europe — have seen their positions in the index stagnate or worsen,” LaBelle concluded.
The Corruptions Index shows that Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tie for first place as the cleanest with scores of 90. This is undoubtedly a result of mechanisms in place that allow the public unrestricted access to information systems and rules governing the behaviour of those in public positions. At the bottom of the pile lie Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia. As TI says, “In these countries the lack of accountable leadership and effective public institutions underscore the need to take a much stronger stance against corruption”.
Among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, only Qatar and the UAE have managed to float above the median line, while the rest fell beneath. This is not very encouraging for the Saudis. But what is encouraging is that governments in some of the countries have begun to sit up and take notice, and even enacting legislation to fight this growing evil.
In Saudi Arabia, the state-appointed anti-corruption commission was given full autonomy to investigate corrupt practices across all government agencies. It has had its hands full, as it weaves through a myriad of corrupt bureaucrats in several agencies, with suspicious dealings, failed and stalled projects or unaccounted-for public funds. Many complain that it is not enough. The commission must be allowed more teeth and more bite. It has been in existence for a few years, and while there had been an initial positive response by the public, that interest has waned. Complaints that punishments have not followed corrupt revelations abound. Judicial authorities must administer the appropriate punishment against the corrupt public officials. Corruption translates into human suffering, with poor families being extorted for bribes to see doctors or to get access to drinking water. It leads to failure to deliver basic services like education or health care. It derails the building of essential infrastructure, as corrupt leaders skim funds. The fat get richer, while the rest are washed away in a sludge of dirty deals conducted by unethical bureaucrats. The report concludes, “It’s clear that corruption is a major threat facing humanity. Corruption destroys lives and communities, and undermines countries and institutions. It generates popular anger that threatens to destabilise societies and exacerbate violent conflicts.”
How can this cancer be arrested if not stopped altogether? Governments must integrate anti-corruption mechanisms into all aspects of decision-making. Public servants must be held accountable for their deeds. Governments should also make public spending and contracting more transparent, a move that would allow less room for acts of fraud and embezzlement of public funds. And finally, the judicial boards must dispense justice in line with the aspirations of the public. The criminals guilty of fraud and corruption should not be allowed to get off scot-free.
Tariq A. Al Maeena is a Saudi socio-political commentator. He lives in Jeddah. You can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/@talmaeena.
