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Rich countries failing to stamp out bribery abroad - watchdog
Written by: Emma Batha
A new report on corruption says fewer than half the countries that have signed a treaty aimed at stopping bribery abroad are taking steps to stamp it out.
Bribe money from companies in industrialised countries distorts public decision-making in some of the world's poorest states, with disastrous consequences for their citizens.
But a report by corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) shows 18 of the 34 countries that have signed the anti-bribery treaty have taken little or no action to enforce it.
Countries getting poor marks include major exporters Britain and Japan, TI says. On the plus side, enforcement has increased substantially in France, Germany and the United States.
The report includes case studies of investigations into alleged bribery involving several big-name multinationals.
The treaty, which was adopted a decade ago by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, is seen as a key step in tackling the damaging effects of foreign bribery on democratic institutions, development programmes and business competition in poorer countries.
Transparency International will publish its 2008 Global Corruption Report on June 25.
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19 Feb 2009 12:00:09 GMT
corruption make country poor, but a question, how to cut corruption in a country?