Corruption in Afghanistan continues to make the headlines. It is increasingly linked to instability in the country and the lack of trust in government. Here is just one of the reports, from last winter, about the devastating effects on corruption on the poor (note – the Afghan poor spend nearly 30% of their $350 yearly income on bribes!)
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taNvWFAt4m4]
But while there is much discussion on the devastating effects of corruption, there are few concrete actions being put forward to stop bribery and extortion.
Yes, the Afghan government has just set up a new high level anti-corruption commission, but if history is any indication – such efforts have a very limited effect in places where corruption is institutionalized. In a country where nearly 50% of citizens report engaging in corruption, it would be impossible to prosecute all the guilty.
How do you begin to tackle corruption? How do you begin to change attitudes? How do you at least reduce corruption impact on the poorest of the poor, who spend a large share of their income on bribes? What is to be done?
Some local approaches to actually instill democratic governance are beginning to work. For instance, public audits of government expenditures on the local level. But much more needs to be done to scale this up. Are you aware of any successful anti-corruption efforts in Afghanistan?
Published Date: December 07, 2009