Tackling administrative graft: Some recommendations

Various studies and researches have demonstrated that the policies, strategies and action-plans for curbing administrative corruption in the service-delivery sectors of Bangladesh should take into cognizance the divergences and differences in the perceptions, attitude and beliefs of service-recipients and service-providers regarding the causes, costs and remedies of administrative corruption. The service-recipients, for example, emphasise governance measures for reducing corruption, while the service-providers attach top priority to socioeconomic measures as remedies of administrative corruption.
The anti-corruption strategy should, therefore, be a two-pronged one for catering to the perceptions of both service-recipients and service-providers on the causes, costs and remedies of administrative corruption. In addition, due emphasis and consideration should be given to the socioeconomic, governance and behavioural aspects of corruption while framing anti-corruption policies, strategies, legislations and action-plans.
Based on the PhD dissertation of this scribe as well as earlier studies on the subject by Transparency International (1999, 2002), the World Bank (1999, 2000, 2003), UNDP (2002) and TIB (1997, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008), the following recommendations can be made for curbing administrative corruption in the service-delivery sectors of Bangladesh.
Firm commitment of political leadership: There should be a clear commitment of political leaders to fight corruption wherever it occurs and to submit themselves to appropriate scrutiny whenever required. Besides, the disclosure requirements on assets and liabilities of high public officials should be enforced rigorously and greater accountability for public institutions should be ensured. The government should actively encourage greater flow of information and establish clear rules and regulations for public administration, ably supported by the separation of power among the three branches of the government - the executive, the judiciary and the legislature.
Reforming systems, emphasising prevention and civilian oversight: The primary emphasis should be on prevention of future corruption and reforming relevant systems, rather than on witch-hunting for past misdeeds. The civil service should be reformed through rationalisation of manpower and revision of the skill-mix, while introducing better compensation packages and performance-based salaries. Bureaucratic structures, functions, incentives and attributes should all come under the purview of the reform process. Training of officials should emphasise  upholding ethical and moral values, which should be more geared towards catering to the concerns of the poor, women, children and other vulnerable groups. Performance indicators should be developed to assess the more 'qualitative' aspects of services, and benchmarks should be put in place for improved services.
The voice and participation of the civil society should also be fostered by the government for ensuring more transparent governance. As enshrined in the country's Constitution, the local government bodies should be strengthened and power should be decentralised and devolved in order to ensure transparency and accountability at the grassroots level. E-governance should be expanded in all areas of governmental activities in order to reduce the scope for corruption. Existing oversight mechanisms should be broadened to include civilian oversight of the civil services. A National Corruption Prevention Committee may be set up at the central level comprising eminent citizens and citizens' committees may be instituted under it at the district, upazila and municipality levels as well as in different service-providing organisations.
Framing comprehensive anti-corruption legislations and procedures: A comprehensive anti-corruption legislation should be adopted by parliament, which should be implemented by agencies of manifest integrity. The Anti Corruption Commission should be given all powers needed for enforcing its decisions and programmes. Public services most prone to corruption should be clearly identified and there should be reviews and amendments to both substantive laws and administrative rules and procedures in order to ensure both transparency and accountability in the delivery of services.  
As an example, The Official Secrets Act, 1923 should be repealed and the existing Right to Information Act should be rigorously enforced for lifting the veil of secrecy in governmental functions and ensuring free flow of information for all.
Enhancing motivational factors and incentives for officials: As evidenced from various studies, the sharp erosion of real financial benefits and weak performance-incentives for government servants have contributed much to the poor governance culture of public administration in Bangladesh. This scribe's own research has also revealed the preference of service providers for enhancing salaries and allowances as a remedial measure against administrative corruption.
An initiative should therefore be undertaken to make sure salaries of officials adequately reflect the responsibilities of their posts and are compatible with salaries of civil servants in the neighbouring countries as well as the country's private sector. Motivational factors like pay and allowances, working hours, job security, housing and medical facilities, which may contribute to low levels of motivation and morale among public sector officials should be carefully reviewed to develop appropriate mechanisms for enhanced motivation and performance in the delivery of services. Regular training on the need for curbing corruption should also be organised for government officials in order to inculcate an anti-corruption outlook amongst them.
Providing administrative remedies against corruption: Administrative and legal remedies should be put in place in order to provide adequate deterrence against administrative corruption. For example, there should be unambiguous provisions for stringent punishments when acts of corruption are committed and separate courts should be set up for trial of corruption-related cases in order to expedite the process. An Ombudsman may also be  appointed in accordance with Article 77 of Bangladesh Constitution to address public grievances including allegations of corruption against the civil servants.
The rules and regulations of public services should be streamlined, procedures should be simplified and mechanisms should be put in place in order to ensure transparency and accountability in delivery of services. Unnecessary or cumbersome regulations should be simplified or annulled and service-delivery should be facilitated by framing appropriate rules in order to reduce the scope for informal payments and unearned incomes. For example, the procedures for the entry of new firms can be simplified by reducing unnecessary costs, fees and delays, and by encouraging informal firms to upgrade their legal status and thereby improve their access to finance.
Forging partnership between the government and the civil society: A partnership should be forged between the government and the civil society for curbing administrative corruption. The civil society along with the mass media can play a vital role in organising grassroots people and generating mass awareness in order to wage a social movement against corruption. Coalitions of interests may be built up in support of corruption-prevention by mobilising the civil society and the private sector. Essays on the harmful effects of corruption on the society and economy of Bangladesh and the need for curbing it should be incorporated in the curricula for secondary and higher secondary education, in order to generate an anti-corruption spirit among the younger generation. Alongside the social elites the religious leaders including the Imams of mosques should also be inducted in the social movement against corruption through their vocal preaching against this malaise at religious sites.
Making administrative corruption a 'high-risk-low-profit' venture: All required steps should be taken by the government for making administrative corruption a 'high-risk' and 'low-profit' undertaking. For example, surprise checks on the workings of officials should be conducted as a matter of routine; there should be effective monitoring of their assets; incomes and liabilities, and supervision of subordinates' activities should be conducted on a rigorous and continuous basis by the superiors. Besides, virtuous values and ethical standards should be promoted and inculcated at all levels of society and governance in order to generate an anti-corruption sentiment everywhere. All efforts should be made to promote and encourage condemnation of corruption at all levels of society and necessary mechanisms should be put in place so that the corrupt elements cannot evade the claws of justice.  
Reforming and overhauling the bureaucracy in Bangladesh: In order to curb administrative corruption in Bangladesh, there is an urgent need for rectifying and improving the common bureaucratic traits in Bangladesh, in addition to complete reform of its structures and functions. These traits include its colonial mentality of paternalistic elitism; irresponsible behaviour and hunger for power and privilege; loss of ethical and moral values and affinity towards corruption; dishonesty and lack of empathy for the clientele public; indiscipline, evasiveness, apathy and obstructionism. To bring about desired changes, the bureaucracy in Bangladesh must be made completely transparent and accountable at all levels of operations. This would require further strengthening, rapid growth and ultimate ascendancy of people's power, citizens' rights and genuinely democratic institutions in the country.
Developing countries like Bangladesh cannot afford to provide the bureaucratic clan with all sorts of privileges and job security, while a majority of the population suffer at their hands due to corruption, irregularities or inefficiency, and languish in poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition. It has been observed that a secure time-frame for government jobs with assured retirement benefits often acts as a disincentive for initiatives and action. It is also said that it is more difficult to get dismissed from a government job than getting one. This sheltered and entrenched system breeds lethargy, corruption and incompetence as the bureaucracy can easily while away its time or act with impunity. They tend not to exert themselves unless there is some special interest.
Thus, providing security to a handful of civil servants while the entire nation remains insecure cannot be justified in any way. Instead, options like contract or tenure-based systems may be considered, where civil servants are appointed to a particular job for a particular period. Similar to the concept of rolling plans, the concept of rolling administration can be applied, where the administrative structure, functions and personnel are adjusted on a continual basis in accordance with the requirements for achievement of development goals and containment of corruption.
For curbing corruption and enhancing performance, output and outcome, there is now an urgent need to reform the civil service of Bangladesh in line with the new public management approach. This would require making the civil-servants citizen or consumer-driven; improving processes by underpinning better quality associated with citizens' charters; setting standards and providing information on standards achieved; separating service-purchaser and service-provider functions and injecting competition and choice in the provider function through delegation and decentralisation; injecting better accountability at the point of service-delivery; a stronger emphasis on performance in terms of management systems, selection, training, career development and management of staff, their incentives and rewards; focusing more on outputs and outcomes rather  than on inputs; putting emphasis on goals and missions rather than on rules and regulations; adopting a customer-centred rather than bureaucracy-centred approach;  decentralisation of authority and power; accountable and responsible administration with emphasis on economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
To overcome the obstacles to civil service reforms in Bangladesh in line with the managerial approach in order to curb administrative corruption, the essential prerequisites include genuine strengthening of parliamentary democracy in the country; expanded and effective role of the watchdog bodies; flourishing of countervailing forces including those of the civil society; raising the service-delivery capacity of the private sector; and greater awareness and bargaining power of the masses   30 per cent of whom are illiterates and live below the poverty line.
Conclusion: Flourishing of democratic norms, transparent and accountable administration as well as countervailing socio-political institutions is a must, if administrative corruption is to be curbed in the country and the bureaucracy is to cater to the needs of the citizenry. Side by side, the bureaucracy needs to be thoroughly overhauled and attuned to the needs of time through sweeping reforms in its structures, functions, incentives and orientations. Only firm popular will, total commitment of the government, a fully accountable political leadership, subservient bureaucracy and genuine empowerment cum participation of the clientele citizens can lead to containment of corruption and rapid socio-economic progress in the country.
Administrative corruption in Bangladesh is a part of the bigger social milieu, and a universal vice like corruption, in a few sectors of a country, cannot be tackled in isolation. The roots of corruption are deeply embedded in the social and cultural moorings of a nation, and unless the behavioural aspects including the values and beliefs system are addressed properly, the situation is unlikely to improve soon.  Political goodwill at the highest level of governance, flourishing of universalistic social norms and virtuous values within the country, and a comprehensive anti-corruption programme as well as sweeping reform initiatives covering all sectors of public services are required for curbing administrative corruption in Bangladesh in a realistic, sustainable, time-bound and holistic manner.
Dr. Helal Uddin Ahmed is currently a freelance writer cum translator, and formerly editor of Bangladesh Quarterly; [email protected]