Bribery - 1

To what extent do you agree that bribery is immortal?

Academic Reading and Writing Course EWR 1211 Yelena Bitsenko 28 February 2010

Bribery - 2 Outlines

To what extent do you agree that bribery is immortal?

Thesis statement: Although nowadays bribery is perceived as a part of peoples mentality, and its very difficult to make it disappear, it is possible at least to reduce its level. First of all, all people around the world are concerned about the problem of bribery.
1) failures in economy 2) increased indignation of people

Secondly, more and more laws, strict regulations and anti-corruption movements are brought to control bribery.
1) anti-bribery Convention 2) anti-corruption campaigns

However, people still argue about its urgency, because bribery is perceived by them as a common thing, its convenient for them, and everyone at least once resorted to it.
1) corrupted mentality 2) convenient solution of problems

Bribery - 3

To what extent do you agree that bribery is immortal? With the development of almost every countrys economic and financial domain, it is becoming more difficult to bring the increasing corruption under control, or at least find the way to avoid it. According to Transparency International CPI (Corruption Perception Index) statistics in 2009: more than 100 countries have index lower than 5, what means that corruption level there is high. CPI is giving the results of 13 independent surveys showing the countries of the world according to the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. Bribery is a subject about which people hold strongly contrasting views, depending on persons position in relation to bribery: being involved in it, or being restrained. Although nowadays bribery is perceived as a part of peoples mentality, and its very difficult to make it disappear, it is possible at least to reduce its level. First of all, all people around the world are concerned about the problem of corruption. Corruption is such type of problem that influences in many directions covering many domains, especially economy. There's no any doubt that bribery, which is endemic emerging in economies around the world, creating inefficiency and put the economic development into a total chaos. What is bribery? Bribery is - specific offence which concerns the practice of offering something, usually money, to gain an illicit advantage. Bribery is definitely the most widespread form of the corruption which is - abuse of a position of trust in order to gain an undue advantage. Connection between corruption and development is obvious. The more corrupted is government, the more underdeveloped country is. Its affecting decisions made by government; decrease the quality of its power, discouraging foreign investment. Nowadays businessman, political leaders, specifies bribery as one of the biggest threats to global economic development. Corrupt countries are apt to lose out in the global competition; people in financial domain offended by collapsing economies now start to demand on money strongly. High levels of corruption reduce economic growth.

Bribery - 4 In international business its notified that number of countries in which they expect big bribe demands has risen amazingly. By recent research of Transparency International it was mentioned that 72 of 102 countries surveyed were likely places for executives to be hit up for bribes. Consequences of this may be very discouraging. According to (Tackling Bribery and Corruption, 2005) Bribery and corruption have serious consequences for companies operating in an international business environment. In such an environment, companies are operating under serious pressure, competition is stiff and margins are tight. This, in conjunction with trying to adapt to unfamiliar legal systems, conventions and specific political circumstances, can make doing business very difficult. There is therefore much depending on whether a company can win a contract, obtain a license or market a product in good time. The consequences of bribery and corruption are very serious from an economic perspective, with the World Bank estimating that 0.5% of GDP is lost each year. It also creates and unfavorable business environment, particularly in relation to trade and Foreign Direct Investment and it allows organized crime to thrive unimpeded. Corruption once appeared less of a problem for economic development, but this view has changed. Corruption is seen as a problem that affects economies, and which leads to popular demonstrations against it. Corruption is now an issue that brings the crowds out on to the streets. Indignation of ordinary people around the world is growing every day. Few of today's graft-ridden governments can build up the habits of mind that limit corruption. Many are the politicians who have sought power by appealing to popular indignation over corruption only to turn a blind eye once they have won it. International measures to tackle bribery have become possible because ordinary people who are concerned about the problem have the support of businessmen, law makers and aid donors who have joined together. Corruption has a far reaching negative effect on the national psyche which eventually goes back to undermine the whole system of good governance itself. A few years ago, the protesters on the street were on their own. To dispensers of aid and writers of global rules, the case for resisting

Bribery - 5 corruption looked weak. Some economists distinguished between some types of corruption, but they are slower now to argue that any of them is good. Nor is popular indignation a reliable weapon against corruption (Transparency International,
2005). In many countries the politics of corruption is too much like the politics of resentment: the

angry demonstrators rarely distinguish between the inequalities created by an honest system and those perpetuated by a corrupt one. And because of this misunderstanding, government is staggered by rising of indignation. Without any actions people wont be able to get rid of it, and if just sit and complain that corruption is bad, nothing will change. But this indignation should be significant for government, for political leaders. Disappointed, deceived, angry crowd is very powerful weapon of all times. Secondly more and more laws, strict regulations and anti-corruption movements are brought to control bribery. Corruption has very deep position, biggest part of all countries is corrupted, and thats why reducing level of corruption is becoming very urgent. To bring corruption under control in developing countries, The OECD Anti-Bribery Convention (officially OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions) was signed in December 1997 and came into force in February 1999. This Convention was aimed exactly at reducing corruption level in developing countries by supporting sanctions against bribery in international business transactions carried out by companies based in the convention member countries. Everyone who signed it, were required to add legislation, which will criminalize act of bribing a foreign public official. The OECD has no authority to implement the convention, but instead monitors implementation by participating countries. Countries are responsible for implementing laws and regulations that conform to the convention and therefore provide for enforcement. The OECD performs its monitoring function in a two-phased examination process. Phase I consists of a review

Bribery - 6 of legislation implementing the conventions in the member country with the goal of evaluating the adequacy of the laws. Phase 2 assesses the effectiveness with which the legislation is applied. Countries which signed the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States. With a corruption,

becoming more and more serious problem, more regulations and different anti-corruption campaign organized all over the world by different types of people, organizations, and companies. But the aim is one - to get rid of it corruption or at least to prevent its further spreading. Almost everywhere now, in the countries which have been strongly affected, campaigns for a fight against corruption are created. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched anticorruption campaign in 24 November 2008. It was created to prevent negative impact on country, individuals, society by corruption. The National Anti-corruption Campaign Steering Committee (NACCSC) was formally appointed through a Gazette Notice No 4124 of May 28th, 2004 with the aim of creating awareness and to mobilize Kenyans eradicate Corruption. Members of its group are representing entire nation including government, organizations, civil society, private sector and etc. Croatian Government launched a 2.36 million anti-corruption campaign to increase knowledge about harmfulness of the corruption. Russian Defense Minister launched Large-Scale AntiCorruption campaign. It happened after inspection which revealed many violations and involved discharging of many military officials and field officers. Anti-Corruption campaign is still remaining as a very hot topic. Corruption is everywhere, and its very strong, but unless there are people ready to struggle against it, country will have chance to get rid of it. However, people still argue about its urgency, because bribery is perceived by them as a common thing, its convenient for them, and everyone at least once resorted to it. This is another

Bribery - 7 side of this problem mentality, which allows people to use bribery, despite its harmful for country. Bribery is becoming so common and so usual, that people just dont understand that we wont be able to change ourselves to avoid corruption. Saying simply, many countries cannot avoid corruption until people will understand that bribery is lead only to underdevelopment of the country. And fact, that they think, there is no need in solution of this problem is normal for everyone. Everybody satisfied with their status. Consequences of corruption impact most on global condition of country, not on individual person. Individuals are able to understand effect of corruption only when they are becoming victims of it. Thats why almost nobody cares about it. People just dont feel it, see it. To at least reduce the level of corruption they should start from at least some actions of commitment towards creating good government. According to (Balboa &
Medalla, 2006) discussion of corruption is almost always conducted within the framework of good

governance. Remember your usual life, in country, there is no person, who had never resorted to bribery, and not because all people are so corrupted and morally spoilt. Its because of corrupted mentality of whole country, government, political leaders, companies, international or multinational. There are millions of examples that could be given to prove that bribery is part of our everydays life. Doesnt matter if you standing in a queue, or sitting on reception at the doctor, or waiting for your documents to be done, or your car to be repaired, or television to be set... Its more comfortable and convenient to give a small bribe, gift and get what you want faster or better, not wasting time. There are thousands of such examples, but the meaning is one. Until well be able to get rid of bribery inside us, it will be very difficult to reduce its level globally.

Concluding, its obvious that nowadays its very difficult to avoid the corruption, and bribery. Corruption causes failures in economy, losing in global competition, people start to lose their jobs and their indignation is rising. Deceived crowd is very dangerous weapon, and every

Bribery - 8 government does some measures to prevent it. OECD Anti-Bribery Convention sure is very good step, but even here in all this countries people immediately after entering this Convention started to think in which way to avoid the laws and rules of it. Anti-bribery campaign is also effective way to discriminate corruption, and people should pay more attention to it. Bribery has so deep position in our nowadays life, we cannot done anything, because were using very often. And what I think should be really done, is very strict control in government, which will involve control of international companies, political sphere and etc. We cannot reduce the corruption level, until well be able to reduce it in ourselves.

References Balboa, J, & Medalla, E.M. (2006). Anti-corruption and governance: the philippine experience. How Bribery and other types of corruption threaten the global marketplace. (2002, october 23).

Bribery - 9 Stephen, P. (2009). Buying your way into heaven: education and. Rotterdam: Sense Tackling bribery and corruption. (2005). Dublin: (Transparency International, 2004) Global war against bribery. Retrieved from Ebscohost database.

Working bibliography Bennet. D. (2003) Corruption as a Weapon, Compliance as a Shield? OGEL Edwin, C, & Moore, Jr. (2007). Causes of demand for international bribery. Vol. 12(2),

Bribery - 10 (Global Policy Forum, 2009). General Analysis on Corruption and Money Laundering Government corruption news articles. (2002, january 29). CBS, Litvack, K. (2007) Bribery and Corruption: A Corporate Governance Concern? OGEL Mironov, M. (2005). Bad corruption, good corruption and growth. Moran, T.H. (2007). FCPA Digest of Cases and Review Releases Relating to Bribes to Foreign Officials under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 OGEL (Transparency Kazakhstan, 2006). To the Businessman about corruption counteraction Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2005 (2005) OGEL