Corruption
Corruption may be defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private
gain. Transparency International uses this definition. It captures three
elements of corruption:
1. Public and private sectors
Corruption occurs in both the public and private sectors. This includes
media and civil society actors. Actors can be individuals, companies, or
organizations such as a political parties.
2. Abuse of power
Corruption involves abusing power held in a state institution or a private
organization.
3. Benefit
Both sides involved in the corrupt act benefit, either in terms of money
or undue advantage.
Sometimes the ‘advantage’ gained may not be ‘undue’ or clear-cut, but is
nonetheless an advantage. For example, in some corrupt societies people can
only secure access to public health or education if they pay bribes. In such
situations, those who can afford to pay have an advantage over those who
cannot. The bribe-giver's ‘benefit’ is merely that which is anyway his or her
rightful due. Bribe-takers receive an advantage for carrying out functions that
are anyway their duty to perform.
Grand vs petty corruption
We often describe corruption as either ‘grand’ or ‘petty’ and ‘administrative.’
Grand corruption
Grand corruption typically takes place at the public sphere’s top tiers,
and within the highest levels in private business. It includes actors that
make rules, policies and executive decisions. It often involves large sums
of money. Grand corruption is also often called political corruption,
highlighting the negative influence of money in political processes,
campaigns and political parties.
Petty / administrative corruption
Small-scale, administrative or petty corruption is the everyday corruption
at the interface between public institutions and citizens. We find petty
corruption as bribery linked to the implementation of existing laws, rules
and regulations – for example when civil servants issue documents only if
they receive a payment that is higher than the advertised official price
for this service.
Petty corruption also refers to the abuse of power in daily situations. For
example, traffic police take payments from taxi drivers in return for not
going after them for the breach of traffic rules. Usually, modest sums of
money change hands in each case. However, when petty corruption is
endemic, it can result in great costs. It can place stress on the functioning
of state systems – similar to the effect of grand corruption.
Often, it is not clear where petty corruption ends and grand corruption
begins. For example, political corruption, in addition to the features above,
can also encompass vote buying and other forms of petty corruption. And
junior officials who demand illegal payments from citizens may do so
because their managers demand a cut of their salaries in return for having
been hired. These managers may have superiors who, in turn, expect money
from them. This corrupt chain may stretch all the way up to senior state
officials.
Reaction
It is very disappointing that there are times when I think that you cannot trust
any person in the government because I see them as corrupts. Spending too
much money in the campaign will always lead to them to gain it back and by
doing so they will steal money from the budget of our country. It is not only
present in the national government but also in the local, it is present in any
forms.
Solution
I still believe that there is still a chance to end these problems even I think it is
impossible I still want to have that thought. The solution to stop the corruption
is to let every people participate when development plans are determined and
reform agendas are set. Local communities must take part in decisions that
affect their lives. It cannot be done by a single person so we must cooperate and
help stopping this cancer that is killing us.
