Bangladeshi 'Begum Para' and Chinese naked officials

M S Siddiqui
Publish Date : 2014-06-27, Publish Time : 00:00, View Count: 11 11 hours ago
http://www.observerbd.com/details.php?id=28102

According to survey conducted by organizations such as Transparency
International (TI INDEX), Political Risk Service (ICRG Index), and the World
Economic Forum (GCR Index), Bangladesh ranks among the most corrupted
nations in the world.
There is no universal or comprehensive definition as to what constitutes corrupt
behaviour, the most prominent definitions share a common emphasis upon the
abuse of public power or position for personal advantage (ADB, 1998). United
nations' Dictionary of social science defines as "corruption in public life is the use
of public power for private profit, preferment of prestige or for the benefit of
group or class, in a way that constitutes a breach of law of standards of high moral
conduct" (1978).
Bureaucratic corruption has been defined as the sale of government property--
goods or services--by public servants for personal gain. This definition--the use of
public office for private benefit--includes extracting bribes for permits, non-
payment of taxes, avoidance of custom duties for speeding up one's work, or for
currying other illegal special favors by the private citizens. Such payments or rents
allow private citizens to pursue economic activity they would not pursue
otherwise. Since the bureaucracy has monopoly or discretionary power over the
issue of licenses, permits, passports, visas and other documents necessary for
doing business, they can collect bribes from the private agents.
A government Task Force Report identified a few years back a number of areas
where corruption was likely to manifest itself. These areas include: procurement
of goods and services including award of contracts by the government;
administration of taxes and prevention of smuggling, disposal, sale and allotment of government property include disinvestments of
industries and other commercial units; administration of loans by public financial institutions, outright embezzlement of government
fund and all kinds of shop-floor malpractices.
Some 'petty' corruption takes many forms. Payments are required simply to obtain an application form or a signature, to secure a copy
of an approved sanction, to ensure proper services and billing from telephone, natural gas, electric power and water employees. Project
corruption permeates both public and private sector contracting. A substantial commission must be paid to secure large public sector
contracts in Bangladesh. Programmatic corruption involves 'Food for Work' and relief programmes".
Bangladesh has different perceptions of corruption. The society is very kind towards bureaucratic corruption. The researchers and civil
society tag other stakeholders by saying "one should not blame the bureaucrats alone for the existence of corruption. The politicians
who fail to implement the rule of law, members of the civil society who tolerate a high level of corruption and fail to condemn it, the
business people who more often than not willingly pay the bribe, sometimes even initiating the transaction, all share the blame for the
existence of bureaucratic corruption". According to others-- the prevalence of corruption is simply a reflection in the behavior of
private businesses and civil servants to the laws and their enforcement. When the laws are full of loopholes, the courts are not
responsive, the existing anti-corruption laws are not enforced, bribery and corruption flourish. The bureaucrats are most fortunate
citizens in Bangladesh. There is hardly any study on their corruption.
An backdated reports revealed that information obtained from the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance show that over a period
of twenty-two years, i.e. between 1971 and 1993, taka 18,000 crore were lost in the public sector due to misappropriation of public
funds and theft.
The corruption rooted deep in the country that drained down the government wealth estimated at TK 11,534,98 core or US$ 2.1 billion
during the first half of 2000 (January - June). The report was made on the basis of the news scan Database, which includes 9 national
and 6 regional dailies published during the study period.
The bureaucrats in China are not that fortunate and privileged like ours. They don't get special status in the society. The Chinese
President Xi Jinping crackdown on pervasive corruption, China's so-called "naked officials," those who have moved their spouses,
children and assets overseas while they remain at home, will not be considered for promotion, state media reported. Chinese
government is taking action against officials whose spouse and children are living abroad and even there is no corruption proof even a
corruption allegation.
Also, China's anti-graft body has asked newly promoted officials to disclose their assets and any foreign residency, while late last
month, about 2,000 village leaders in Guangzhou had to hand over their passports to stop corrupt officials from fleeing, Hong Kong's
South China Morning Post reported.
As some of the most despised officials in China are those who send their wives and children to live overseas while preparing for their
own eventual departure, they are known 'luo guan' or naked officials. "Naked officials" ( luo guan) is a term used to describe cadres
who stash money and relatives overseas, and when the law begins to catch up with them they flee China ,"naked" with just the shirts
on their back.
Some of typical corruption in China is as described: In the town of Pensghui in Chongqing corruption was so bad that money allocated
for a bridge, middle school and hotels produced only half of a bridge before running out. Construction had not even begun on the
school. The hotel hadn't even made into the planning stages. Corruption has been linked to disasters that have killed scores of people.
In January, 1999, two bridges collapsed in different areas, killing 47 people and injuring more than 30 others. In Chongqing in Sichuan
a footbridge collapsed killing 40 people. An investigation uncovered faulty welding, $12,000 in bribes given to officials to overlook
problems and allow project to exceed its budget. Some of the siphoned-off money was used to build a karaoke parlour with scantily
clad girls. Less than a week later, another bridge collapsed in Fujian Province, killing seven people. In both cases government officials
were arrested on charges of corruption and using shoddy materials.
Ministers were forced to resign in October 2003 after only seven months on job for taking $619,000 in bribes. In January 2005, 44
officials in Gansu Province were accused of misusing $930 million funds intended for improving roads and water works. In 2005, a
Chinese official was caught after three months on the run for gambling away $420,000 of public money. In November2005, Yuan
Jingao, an official in charge of fighting corruption was himself found guilty of accepting $715,000 worth of bribes.
Bangladesh authorities used to initiate case against contractors in case of such collapse of bridge or building but kept the responsible
bureaucrats out of legal and administrative jurisdiction.
Party and government officials whose spouse and children have emigrated overseas are to be subject to strict examination when
applying for private passports and going abroad, according to a new regulation.
A statement from the CPC Central Committee General Office said the new regulation is "an important anti-corruption measure" to
make officials self-disciplined, clean, reliable and people of integrity. "The regulation not only stresses education, management and
supervision of civil servants whose spouse and offspring live aboard, but also focuses on the protection of their interests and working
enthusiasm," it said.
Most of the Bangladesh government officials send their children abroad for higher study and immigration, and their wives live there to
look after the children. They prefer some cluster areas of USA, Canada, Australia etc. Government officials use to buy property in the
name of their wives. These overseas clusters have become 'Begum Para'.

The writer is a Legal Economist and can be reached at shah@banglachemcial.com

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