Corruption: Is There a Way Out?
Writer: Sabin Basnet
Like in the other developing nations across the world, corruption has become a burning issue in Nepal. In fact, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index 2022 published by Transparency International, Nepal ranks 110 among the 180 countries that were included in the report with a score of just 34. From high level government officials to the civil servant at the lowest rung and even the private sector, corruption has seeped through within the society like a cancerous growth. Corruption can be called a cancerous growth due to the fact that like cancer it slowly gnaws away at the very fabric of social harmony.
The trend is such that literally any task that needs to be carried out through public offices either have to wait in long waiting lines or one needs connection or needs to adhere to unrequited request. In fact, even the corporate and private sector has been influenced by public scenario in recent days. And when we look at the entire episode of this malaise there are various questions that crop up in one’s mind – What are the major reasons behind corruption in Nepal and how can they be addressed? Is there any way we could increase accountability and transparency in the civil service and in general? Can I personally in any way help get rid of this problem?
It is not that the general public is unaware about corruption as there is always talk between family members and friends about how corruption has been having a negative impact on the daily lives of the citizens and how it needs to be urgently controlled. However, it is not an easy task to control corruption in a developing country like Nepal. And there is no one single remedy to this disease. It needs a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach.
The first step to controlling corruption would be to change people’s mindsets. People often criticize and condemn those who have been accused of corruption and talk about how they need to be handed out a strict punishment. However, if the person who has been apprehended for corruption is family or friend then most often the same people tend to turn a blind eye to that incident. As a matter of fact, they even put up strong arguments in the favor of the accused if the issue does surface during any conversation. So, one solution would be to conduct awareness campaigns about the need for integrity. The subject ‘integrity’ could also be included in educational programs. If there is a society that is conscious about integrity then this itself will help get rid of corruption.
The other aspect that needs to be seriously pondered upon is strengthening the country’s legal system. There is a need for more stringent rules to combat corruption. The punishment should be such that it demotivates others from getting involved in corruption. But due to weak laws or rather weak implementation of the laws, most of the people accused of corruption usually walk free within a very short period of time. What this basically does is it encourages others to follow suit and the vicious cycle of corruption continues unabated. Stricter regulations need to be drafted against corruption whereby the ill-gotten gains are of less value compared to the punishment that is meted out.
Nepal does have an anti-corruption body called the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), which has a mandate to try and convict those found guilty of corruption. However,
when the authority itself is mired in controversies from time to time then questions are always raised about how effective the CIAA really is. In fact, the authority has often been accused of only apprehending people who do not have any political affiliation or connection and allowing the big fish to go scot free. As a result, people in general have begun to question the need of this organization. One good step would be to provide CIAA with more autonomy and stop the practice of appointing people within the authority based on their political connection. When the anti-graft body itself is mired in controversy time and again then it becomes difficult for people to trust it.
Accountability is another area that all the concerned stakeholders and the general public need to concentrate on. When there is no accountability for one’s actions it simply encourages people to break the rules. For instance, there should be a strict oversight mechanism for public expenditure, which can be done through the use of technology. E-governance measures need to be adopted in Nepal. The emphasis on e-governance is due to the fact that the less human contact there is, the less corruption there is. For example, a machine will not ask a service seeker for a bribe. If the procedures are correct the machine does the necessary work and if the procedures are incorrect then the machine will not proceed any further.
One other major cause for corruption in Nepal is the disheartening economic growth since the past couple of years. It is time that those concerned focused on economic development. We need to look into ways on how we can reduce the unemployment rate and poverty. When people are economically empowered it does not give them any incentive to accept an under-the-table offering. We have to ensure that the available resources within the country are equally distributed among the general populace.
Last but not the least Nepal needs a more vibrant and proactive media sector that is willing to highlight the corruption issues in the country without any fear or favor. Oftentimes, publication houses in the country are a bit aligned to one or the other political party. As a result, some media houses highlight some corruption cases but suppress some other such news. Unless there is an unbiased media sector it will become difficult to get rid of corruption as media is the most reliable source of information.
What everybody needs to be aware of is that corruption has a negative impact not only on individuals but the society in general. When corruption increases then people stop trusting the government system. When political leaders themselves are looked at by the public as corruption mongers then people start losing trust in the government and this could lead to disillusionment. This consequently could lead to civil unrest in the country. The other reason why we need to get rid of corruption is that when there is rampant corruption then it decreases access to basic government services. It is a no brainer that in Nepal if a person has the right connections or is willing to pay a bribe then they can avail all the services but if an individual does not have that privilege then no work gets done. Corruption can also lead to injustice. There could be favoritism or nepotism in government or private dealings and those with the clout could be accorded preference over others.
Yes, it does take a lot of time to get rid of corruption which has already been ingrained within our systems but once that can be achieved then Nepal will have a more thriving society. There will be people who will actually trust each other.