Addressing a social problem

"The accomplice to the crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference."- Bess Myerson

Corruption is a worldwide phenomenon. It happens everywhere, in both developed and developing countries. Some countries do have a reputation for being less corrupt overall, but there are instances of corruption and corrupt elements in every country.

There is a general perception that corruption happens only on a large-scale. Nothing could be further from the truth. Corruption does happen on that scale, but it is often a convenient excuse to ignore or forget corruption and malpractices at the lower levels of society.

The biggest danger is that when bribery and corruption is ingrained in society, we tend to take it for granted. We consider it as a 'normal' practice that has to exist, that has to be accommodated. Worse still, we usually wittingly or unwittingly encourage such acts. A society that remains passive in the face of corruption at ground level faces the real danger of never really addressing it. There is no excuse for corruption at any level, but there are plenty of instances when the society ignores or condones the practice at its peril.

The authorities, including institutions such as the Bribery Commission alone cannot combat corruption. It has to come from within the society itself. It has to start with individuals at grass-roots level. Corruption has to be resisted and nipped in the bud at every turn.

On their part, the authorities have made various efforts to address institutionalized corruption. For example, in the days when traffic fines used to be much less than they are now, most motorists saw a way out by providing an 'incentive' to law enforcement officials, who in turn were tempted to accept the same. Today, traffic fines are comparatively high and there is a mechanism to reward Police officers through official channels for nabbing errant motorists. Moreover, some offenders have to be mandatorily produced in Court. These measures have drastically reduced instances of corruption, if not altogether eliminated them on the highways. The Customs too has a similar program in place to eliminate any instances of corruption, whereby the Officers get handsomely rewarded for their detections. The availability of a 'rewards pool or fund' has also reduced malpractices at many institutions.

School admission was another area where corruption was rife. There were many well documented instances of school heads and officials demanding an incentive in cash or kind to admit children to Year One classes of their so-called popular schools. Desperate parents had no alternative other than giving in to their unjust demands in order to secure admission for their children. The much-awaited new school admissions process seeks to eliminate this practice which has gone on unchecked for decades. School admission should be an open, transparent process with no room whatsoever for any malpractices.

Having said that, the best remedy is establishing equally good schools (on par with the most popular schools) all over the island. This will eliminate the need for parents to scramble for the 'best' schools in Colombo and key provincial cities. If all schools are similar in terms of facilities and teaching staff, why bother about popular schools at all ?

There is another answer to corruption and malpractices in the public sector. Increasing the efficiency and managerial expertise of public sector institutions is essential to combat corruption. We have heard stories of people greasing the palm of a clerk or office assistant to get something done at a Government institution. The usual argument is that the same task would take ages if one goes through the 'proper' channels.

A little baksheesh, on the other hand, produces results in a few minutes. But what if the procedures at Government departments and agencies were so efficient that anybody could just walk in, get the task(s) done without delay and walk away ? That is the ideal we should aspire to. There would be no need for any sort of improper transaction.

This is where e-Government could come in handy. If one applies on line for a say, a birth certificate, that immediately cuts down on the number of human intermediaries you have to approach to get it. One can just go online, fill in a form and the requirement would be met without an actual interaction with anyone. This reduces the hassle and any opportunity for graft. There is a whole range of such services that can migrate to an online platform, cutting down on the 'middleman'. In the meantime, the authorities should publicise the services that are already available on the Net.

The only hitch is that the Internet penetration in rural areas is still not very satisfactory. The Government's Nenasala initiative has enabled many to go online in these areas. These centres are staffed by those well versed with the Internet, who can help villagers unfamiliar with online operations.

This would be an interim measure until almost everyone in the country has access to Broadband Internet. In case you think it is an unrealistic target, it helps to know that there are around 17 million mobile phones in active use in this country, a far cry from what it used to be just five years ago. The pace of technological progress, coupled with the economies of scale for broadband devices, will take us there before long.

It is unfair to blame only the public sector when it comes to waste and corruption. It happens in the private sector too. The private sector should take steps to eliminate such forms of white collar crime.

Last but not least, we should refrain from overtly or covertly encouraging corruption. We should not be indifferent to corruption. Just say 'no' when someone demands a bribe. The society will be a much better place if everyone follows this simple dictum.

Former Indian President Abdul Kalam once said that "If a country is to be corruption-free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher".

Indeed, children must be taught what corruption is and how and why they should opt out of it. That is the key to a corruption-free next generation.