Corrupt officials should be punished

Jun 19, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – Corruption involving government officials has been in the news over the last week because of American sanctions. But lower-level workers of the state are (have been right after independence in 1966) also involved in corruption, as obtained from conversation and social interaction with the public all over the country. They should also face some kind of penalties.

People generally feel officials are corrupt. Everyone in Guyana speaks about corruption, indicting the police and bureaucrats (those in the higher up, in particular) of being “on the take”; in all fairness, many police and most state employees (civil servants) carry out their duties honestly, and the public commend them for their integrity. But there are a greedy few who demand money for performance or police or judicial officer who with the right price make a traffic violation disappear. And if you have issues with a police or judicial officer, good luck!

It is well known that in developing countries, including Guyana, as observed first hand, one can pay off police officers (and even some compromised judges) to ignore any crime; you paid a bribe and a charge gets dismissed. Vehicle drivers related experiences of paying bribe and would poke fun about (ridicule) corrupt police officers and court personnel. The public also spoke of having to pay “a lil thing” to speed up service; it is called “bakshish” in Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Governments have repeatedly urged the public not to pay graft for services. But without some financial inducement, services are stalled. State contracts are hard to get without some kind of connection – it is so in almost every developing country.

The public wants fast, efficient service; drivers want summons (tickets) disappear. In America and Canada, Guyanese follow the law and wait their turn; bribes are not a way of life and can land people in jail as happened repeatedly. But in Guyana, the public can’t be bothered with the amount of time they (which is costly to a productive person) have to spend to go to court or to wait for service. So they, themselves, become facilitators of corruption. Regretfully, at times, they can’t help but require quick service.

So they pay ‘the inducement fee’ or money to make summons disappear or to expedite service. The state should find a way to provide fast service. People coming to Georgetown, say from the Corentyne or from other outlying areas needing documents or a passport or birth or marriage or death certificate are heavily burdened; the state should decentralize services. Corrupt police should be disciplined! And courts have to find a way to quickly dispose of vehicular violations for those who appear to contest summons or pay fines.

The public should know that corruption (graft and bribing police), in addition to giving bribes for state contracts, breeds more corruption. And corruption increases poverty, renders the middle class less wealthy, and the poor much poorer. It also excludes people from service and justice in courts when can’t afford to pay the bribe. The wealthy are hardly troubled by agents of the state and thus are not affected by graft or corruption. And while the middle class and poor are affected with the latter getting poorer in paying bribes, which they can’t afford, the corrupt enjoy a lavish lifestyle with little empathy for others. No one should be required to pay bribe for basic services that are mandated by law. Anyone and everyone on the take should be punished by the Guyana state and sanctioned by the developed countries (like USA and Canada) if possible.

Yours sincerely,

Vishnu Bisram

American sanctions, Corrupt officials, Letters, Vishnu Bisram

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