Assessing the impacts of graft

M. Ahmed, The Daily Star, Asia News Network/Dhaka

While studying impacts of corruption most emphasis is often given to the economic dimensions specially on growth prospects. That is understandable because most of those who raise voice on this issue are the donors giving aid and loans hoping to see some benefits in the form of improved indicator for economic growth. Among the citizens, however, there is inertia induced inaction that amounts to acceptance of this scourge as a way of life.

Consider the period before TI published the corruption and bribery index. We knew that we were being sucked hollow of our life blood by the governing thugs but people had no idea about its seriousness or that we were the world champions surpassing Indonesia and Nigeria who were then rumored to be most corrupt (no offense meant). We should certainly be grateful to donor countries and the TI for raising the profile of the 'corruption issue' and its debilitating impact on governance.

For the bilateral and multilateral donors Bangladesh is one of the many destinations where their money may go and they want to see that a recipient country shows a reasonably good utilization of their investment. Though aid and loans are not given for altruistic purposes a total waste of resources is unacceptable. Such a waste creates many unintended consequences for the donors.

Within the receiving countries they are accused of patronizing the corrupt, inefficient and oppressive (all corrupt rulers in the long run are inefficient, oppressive and undemocratic vote manipulators) rulers for political ends. Internationally this is unjustifiable as going against the current global push for good governance. Within the donor countries citizens demand better utilization of their tax money and want to see a close link between aid and its benefits.

Governments of poor developing countries tend to play down the corruption issue because big league corruption is mostly politically supported and sponsored. Political parties and politicians supported by bureaucrats do their utmost to keep profile of this issue low and their earnings high.

Over the years evil but effective arrangements have developed in these countries to ensure the safety, security and public standing of the corrupt, their ill gotten wealth and the channels of corruption. Judiciary, law enforcement agencies and other organs of the state to ensure the rights of citizens are deliberately made ineffective.

Like marauding conquerors, governments hold people and organizations within their (governments') own domain as hostages denying any autonomy and demanding complicity in their corrupt ventures.

They also do not want to give any space to civil society organizations and block channels of protest to keep their power to plunder safe. The "conqueror" attitude reveals itself dramatically in the immediate post election period when winning party people gobble up all appointments and positions of consequence which were held by others. Some even say that a new set of beggars and hawkers occupy foot paths and traffic junctions supported by new political leaderships and their musclemen.

When corruption becomes the main purpose and operating method of the powerful, serving the ends of corrupt power remains the only way for individuals to eke out a place for themselves. The honest and the well meaning have to let their conscience die. If you are a person with a dream, willing to make your way up with hard work, professionalism, character and integrity, you are in the wrong place. They don't need you, they need stooges.

Look around you will not see many in the upper strata who have been allowed to earn a place, they have all been rewarded for their complicity in the plunder. There are at least two crimes associated with most cases of extension of senior officials, one of undue favor to an undeserving, under-performing person in need of patronage and another of injustice to a person, senior or junior with whom the rulers are not comfortable.

Repeated assertion that corruption harms economic growth and elimination or reduction of corruption leads to higher growth overlooks the impact of debauching of institutions, organizations, traditions and practices that could play an important role in stabilizing the society.

High level corruption divides subordinates on the basis of their ability to comply and participate, breeds organizational injustice, and gives rise to despondency and deprivation among those left out. Retaliation follows change of government and the cycle is repeated. Leadership can only be exercised by personal example. Corrupt leaders held in position by force of authority show wrong example.

Authority used with the intention to favor some and punish others smacks of corruption and cronyism. Such actions poison the workplace, destroy cohesion and camaraderie and make public offices playgrounds of few opportunists in power. Corruption begets corruption pushing the system down a slippery slope. The perpetrators know the consequences well but do what they do because they must serve their own interests above everything else.

Thus, while the donor emphasis on economic impacts of corruption is justified, the impact of corruption on public organizations and institutions are more lasting and perhaps irreversible. In the long term, as we can see, people lose confidence in any kind of authority and the society tends to become lawless. A strong economy needs strong foundation of public and private institutions and corruption is a huge barrier to their healthy growth.