Bribery a blemish on the dignity of govt: President U Thein Sein
- Published on Saturday, 18 August 2012 01:42
The second meeting of the planning commission in session on 13 August (Photo - President's Office website)
As bribery and corruption is well
entrenched at every level of government departments, officials will have
to tackle the issue seriously, President U Thein Sein said last Monday.
President U Thein Sein, in his role as
chairman of the Planning Commission, was speaking on the first day of
the Commission’s second meeting.
The President said it is immoral and
unethical to offer and accept bribes. It must be stopped with serious
action as it tarnishes the image of the government. All are urged to
clear flaws and ensure a clean government. The departmental heads and
chiefs of every organisation are responsible for whatever their
subordinates do and must handle and curb bribery effectively.
The meeting was attended by
Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk Kham, Union ministers, the Union
attorney-general, the chairman of the Civil Service Board, region and
state chief ministers and chairmen of the Self-Administered
Division/Zones.
Observers warned that bribery and
corruption are risk factors that could delay the democratisation process
of the country. It is also threatens to sow chaos into the whole
government machinery.
Somalia stood first in the list of the
most corrupt nations of the world while Myanmar was placed third in
2011. The report also pointed out that countries ruled by authoritarians
breed corruption and bribery, while such practices are lesser in
nations where democracy flourishes.
Retired Professor Daw Yee Yee Myint of
the Institute of Economy said, “Due to the erratic system in the past
decades, bribery and corruption is widespread across the country.
Perhaps the practice started with the Myanmar tradition and culture of
paying respects along with gift items. In Myanmar, the situation is
complex as low salary earners take bribes due to inadequate income,
while senior officials and top executives are collecting bribes for
various reasons. Therefore, bribery and corruption must be handled with
all seriousness, not just with words but by deeds. Moreover, the
weaknesses and flaws in the existing rules and regulations must be
amended at the earliest.”
Under the new civilian government, many
questions were raised and criticism was widespread of the government and
the judiciary whether they could really take action against bribery and
corruption. Observers pointed out that effective measures and deterrent
actions in wiping out this malpractice is urgently needed.
MP Dr Nyo Nyo Thin of Yangon Region
Parliament said, “Bribery not only tarnishes the dignity of the
government and the country but also jeopardises development of the
country.”
She said, “It is one of the main factors
pushing the country into poverty. When there are self-seekers, it will
be very difficult to wipe out bribery and corruption. The people will
have confidence and faith in the government only when deterrent actions
are taken against infamous companies and organisations and also corrupt
ministers as exemplary punishments.”
Parliamentarians have also expressed their concern about bribery and corruption in the country.
“In this context, a law will be
promulgated,” said Dr Myat Nyana Soe, representative of the Upper House.
“In the past, an anti-corruption law did exist and the formation of the
then Bureau of Special Investigation [BSI] was aimed at fighting
corruption. But the mechanism did not work with no action taken.”
He said action will be taken against graft, bribery and corruption when the law comes into force.
MPs discussed the insertion of a
provision in the anti-corruption bill at the parliamentary session of
the Upper House on July 13 that any long delay by government staff in
departmental functioning will face punishment.
Experts from the social field have urged
the government to take systematic steps to fight corruption, which is a
hurdle for Myanmar’s political change and development.
U Soe Nyunt, chairman of the Myanmar
Bird and Nature Society, highlighted the importance of taking action
against all those taking bribes rather than targeting the staff at lower
levels alone.
He also blamed parliament’s recent
rejection of the proposal to declare assets of Union, State and Region
government members, which was voted down at the parliamentary session of
the Lower House on August 8.
Public opinion is that though bribery
cannot be eliminated immediately, taking open action against corrupt top
officials can win trust and reliance as well as cooperation.
Demanding asset declarations from MPs is
not necessary as they are not in a position to take bribes at present.
However, cases where some are found in possession of billions of kyats
are unacceptable. In the fight against corruption, it is only necessary
to look into the comparison between one’s accumulation of wealth and
legitimate rights and privileges as a civil servant, and how much tax
has been paid for establishing a family business.
What matters most for the government is
to take decisive steps to fight bribery and corruption, especially in
departments and enterprises where these problems are common. The
ministry of finance and revenue, hydroelectric projects, foreign
investment commissions and business-related enterprises have been prone
to corruption. Top-ranking personnel should be questioned, too.
It is necessary to take salary gaps into
account because while a basic salary for a government employee stands
at around K70,000, an experienced mason earns over K200,000. In
addition, it is also found that a director-general can in no way support
his family with his salary.
When it comes to dealing with
corruption, no discrimination should be allowed. A union minister was
quoted in a news report of the Hot News journal as saying that
corruption cases could be reported to the authority concerned with
evidence. In connection with the news report, a Facebook user wrote that
“A minister draws a monthly salary of K500,000, but it seems that his
current possessions amount to what can be accumulated in thousands of
millions of years”.
A businessman said it is about time the
government started to get tough with corruption and bribery. He also
stressed that those who were involved in corruption in the past should
resign of their own volition if they felt conscience-stricken. “If they
remained where they are, I have nothing to say,” he said.
For the government, the best solution to
fight bribery and corruption lies in the declaration of income and
property, and filing lawsuits against swindlers.
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