Parties are the most corrupt, say Indians……Rakesh Bhatnagar
New Delhi: Not babus, not police, but political parties are the most corrupt in India, says a Transparency International survey released on Wednesday. Fifty-eight per cent of the people surveyed felt parties were the most corrupt, followed by bureaucracy (13%), parliament and legislature (10%), business and private sector (9%) and judiciary (3%).
The 2009 Global Corruption Barometer was supported by Ernst & Young, the government of Brunei Darussalam, and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation.
The barometer is a public survey that assesses people’s perceptions and experiences of corruption and bribery. This year, the study covered 69 countries, of which 50 were surveyed by Gallup International, an association of market research companies.
“People continue to identify political parties as the institution most tainted by corruption, while police, followed by judiciary, are most likely to take bribes,” the survey reveals.
The barometer offers policy-makers, business and anti-corruption communities an opportunity to assess, over time, the extent of corruption, as reflected in the opinions and experiences of ordinary people.
It shows that bribery levels around the world are still too high — about 10% of the general public reported paying bribe last year. What’s more, incidences of petty bribery appear to have increased in several countries since 2005.
Around the globe, ordinary citizens are not convinced by their governments’ anti-corruption efforts and have become disillusioned with the private sector and its perceived role in influencing policies, in capturing the state and subverting public interest.
While this sceptical view is a reflection of the widespread lack of transparency, which contributed to the global financial crisis, there is some good news. Most respondents were willing to pay a premium for clean business. Companies should take note: There is a market value in adhering to the highest standards of anti-corruption. But Indians are less keen to pay more for products by corruption-free companies.