Wrong Ways to Fight Corruption

Not all widely recognised anti-corruption measures are equally effective. During the IV Tashkent Anti-Corruption Forum, Alena Vandysheva, an anti-corruption activist and researcher at UNDP, talks about various global practices, emphasising that some, despite their widespread promotion, do not deliver the intended impact. However, she also highlighted effective anti-corruption measures, which she plans to elaborate on later.

What doesn’t work

Raising public sector salaries

The concept of raising officials’ salaries to mitigate corruption, popularised by Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew, has yet to yield the intended results. Despite a substantial increase in customs officials’ salaries in 1997, corruption offences persist in India, primarily due to trade barriers. A fundamental restructuring of civil service recruitment is necessary to address this, emphasising open competitions and merit-based selection to ensure that the most honourable and incorruptible individuals occupy prestigious positions.

Shootings and repression

In the 1950s and 1960s, China launched anti-corruption campaigns that included decisive actions against dishonest officials, such as hanging posters urging people to report violations and conducting special raids. During this time, China also implemented the death penalty for corruption. These efforts had a significant impact, as corruption offences decreased from 500,000 in 1950 to 290,000 in 1965.

However, it became evident that these measures also increased informal arrangements and made subsequent anti-corruption efforts challenging in the 1980s. Officials began to warn each other about planned inspections and cover for each other, undermining the effectiveness of the campaigns. This suggests that while such strategies may yield quick results, they are likely to be short-lived.

Corruption will go away on its own

Throughout the 1990s, there was a prevalent strategy of disregarding corruption. This approach was convenient for the state as it did not require any additional expenditures. The free market was commonly believed to resolve any issues over time naturally. During the period of capital accumulation, there was a lack of urgency to combat corruption in order to avoid causing harm.

It is worth noting that these perspectives prevailed not only in the post-Soviet space and developing countries of Asia and Africa but also in developed economies.

For example, in Europe, there was a practice of categorising corruption expenses as representation expenses in tax declarations to avoid paying taxes on them. This led to German corporations spending amounts comparable to the GDP of some African countries.

It wasn’t until 1997 that the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials was adopted, which prohibited such practices.

It’s essential to recognise that if corruption is overlooked, it can become systemic, allowing organised criminal groups to take the place of legitimate power structures.

Anti-corruption marathons

Flashy propaganda initiatives like marathons frequently overshadow the genuine battle against corruption. If anti-corruption marathons are not integrated into a carefully planned strategy designed to increase awareness about corruption, its impact on society, and effective methods to combat it, then they may lack meaningful impact. Symbolic gestures are valuable, but well-planned practical measures must accompany them.

Ok, what does work

Anti-corruption monitoring

In 2020, Czech Transport Minister Vladimir Kremlik was dismissed due to inefficient budget spending. The ministry estimated the cost of the electronic car sticker system at 400 mln crowns, but IT specialists discovered that this figure needed to be inflated. They organised a hackathon and developed a similar system over a weekend, which they then gave to the Czech government for free.

In Uzbekistan, community involvement in monitoring could be an effective approach. In Indonesia, citizen monitors were trained to identify violations in road construction. The results were shared in public meetings, leading to a reduction in the misuse of funds in road construction.

Use of digital technologies

The utilisation of digital services has significantly streamlined the process of detecting corruption offences. For instance, Tenderskop effectively identifies cartels by cross-referencing the contact details of suppliers, thereby uncovering collusion between customers and bidders.

Transfer of public services to electronic form

Encouraging minimal personal contact with officials can reduce the likelihood of corruption. Furthermore, implementing portals to track applications at every stage can greatly decrease domestic corruption. This approach necessitates the advancement of Internet technologies and the promotion of computer literacy to ensure accessibility for all, including those in remote regions.