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factors may
contribute
to
rent-seeking
behavior.
An
index
of
ethno-linguistic
fractionalization (societal divisions along ethnic and linguistic lines) has been found to be correlated with
corruption. Also, public officials are more likely to do favors for their relatives in societies where family ties
are strong.
Low wages in the civil service relative to wages in the private sector are a source of low-level
corruption. When civil service pay is too low, civil servants may be obliged to use their positions to collect
bribes as a way of making ends meet, particularly when the expected cost of being caught is low.
Trade restrictions are the prime example of a government-induced source of rents. If importing a certain
good is subject to quantitative restriction (for example, only so many foreign automobiles can be imported
each year), the necessary import licenses become very valuable and importers will consider bribing the
officials who control their issue. More generally, protecting a home industry (such as plywood
manufacturing) from foreign competition through tariffs creates a semi-monopoly for the local industry.
Local manufacturers will lobby for the establishment and maintenance of these tariffs and some may be
willing to corrupt influential politicians to keep the monopoly going. Studies have shown that a very open
economy is significantly associated with lower corruption. In other words, countries tend to be less corrupt
when their trade is relatively free of government restrictions that corrupt officials can abuse.
At the same time, corruption is a by-product of poverty. Already marginalized, the poor tend to suffer a
double level of exclusion in countries where corruption characterizes the rules of the game. In a corrupt
environment, wealth is captured, income inequality is increased and a states governing capacity is
reduced, particularly when it comes to attending to the needs of the poor. For citizens, these outcomes
create a scenario that leaves the poor trapped and development stalled, often forcing the poor to rely on
bribes and other illegal payments in order to access basic services. For a country, the results produce
multiple and destructive forces: increased corruption, reduced sustainable growth and slower rates of
poverty reduction.
As the World Bank has aptly warned, corruption isthe greatest obstacle to
reducing poverty.
Experts in human behavior have identified that the first few years in a childs life are the most critical in
the formation of character and personality. Values learned, voices heard and events experienced during
these years of infancy stay with us throughout our lives and play a significant role in our decisions.
During these formative years, two groups of people play an important role, i.e. parents and teachers
In Pakistan, parents are not mindful of their behavior in the presence of small children, thinking that
infants are not observing them. For instance, in their childs presence, some use profanities while others
break traffic rules or tell a blatant lie. All these events are observed by the child and become part of their
memory. So, right from the beginning we corrupt the soul of a child by distorting the benchmarks needed
to separate right from wrong.
On the other hand, when the child goes to school he is exposed to another unbridgeable paradox in the
form of values promoted in the syllabus and the ones practiced by the teacher. For instance, we tell our
children that, according to Islam, cleanliness constitutes half of the faith but, at the same time, our
classrooms are dirty, our school bathrooms stink and our streets are littered with garbage.
At the end of his/her academic life, the young adult knows the theory of what is right but is devoid of
finding the living example of it. When they join the workforce they get another dose of corruption practiced
in our offices and factories where the dignity of work demands that a person discharge their function
truthfully and to the best of their capability. Instead, the fresh recruit observes people coming in late to
work, wasting company resources, accepting or giving bribes, evading taxes and looking for shortcuts to
make money or get promotions. In just a matter of a few years, the person who came out of college with
bright eyes to change the world has now fully accepted the reality and, instead, decides to swim along.
With every passing year, the desire to listen to ones conscience gets weaker and weaker, so much so
that this corrupt way of life actually becomes the accepted norm.
SOLUTIONS OF CORRUPTION
Tackling endemic corruption is not an easy a task. First of all, it is the leadership that matters. It is better
to fix the roof first for proper house cleaning. Honest and dedicated leaders who have unflinching
commitment to the cause of corruption control are a must. It is the top leadership who needs to set an
example as cultural patterns flow from the top.
There is no shortcut to fixing the issue of corruption; we have to develop a new generation based on
strong moral character. This will require a commitment of at least 30 years, if we start today. While this
new generation is growing, we can take short-term measures to develop an environment of merit, fair play
and justice.
Experts in human behavior have identified that the first few years in a childs life are the most critical in
the formation of character and personality. Values learned, voices heard and events experienced during
these years of infancy stay with us throughout our lives and play a significant role in our decisions. During
these formative years, two groups of people play an important role, i.e. parents and teachers. They have
to work together to ensure that ethical, moral and spiritual values are ingrained in the childs psyche to
develop good citizens. One way of collaboration is the creation of parent-teacher councils in all
elementary schools that can meet on a weekly basis to discuss the progress of the child as well as assign
responsibilities.
Tzu-kung asked about government. Confucius said, Sufficient food, sufficient armament and sufficient
confidence of the people. Tzu-kung said, Forced to give up one of these, which would you abandon
first? Confucius said, I would abandon the armament. Tzu-kung said, Forced to give up one of the
remaining two, which would you abandon first? Confucius said, I would abandon food. There have been
deaths from time immemorial, but no state can exist without the confidence of the people. A Source
Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated and compiled by Wing-tsit Chan.
Pakistan has a problem. There is sufficient armament and an insufficient food supply continues to impact
national nutritional requirements. However, the greatest challenge of the decade is to establish
confidence in the state. Unfortunately, an inverse correlation exists between corruption and confidence.
An increase in state corruption decreases confidence in the existing political process. Conversely, when
corruption decreases confidence increases and a sense of healthy public welfare ensues.
As for government officials and functionaries, meritocracy must be implemented. The professional
standards for induction into law enforcement cadres must be improved and
strictly on merit. The employees in these institutions must be well paid with their jobs secured and
essentially these institutions must stand aloof of all political interferences. The judiciary, both at upper and
lower level must have to be strong, independent, and honest and corrupt-free. Greater transparency is to
be ensured in all law enforcement agencies so that these institutions become more accessible to public.
There should be rule of law so that the thieves are caught, and no one could escape long arms of the
law. Whosoever attempts to break the law, he will become fearful of infliction of severe punishment.