Dr. Bahaa Helmy Writes: Corruption Is One Body with Many Heads and Different Forms

DR-BAHAA HELMY·TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016

The concept of corruption may differ from one era to another and from one place to another, but it is not confined to one people or one country. Corruption is one body, however many its definitions, concepts, images and forms: there is political corruption, economic and financial corruption, corruption in restoring rights to their owners, administrative corruption, moral corruption, cultural corruption and social corruption. Taking bribes, favoritism, nepotism (wasta), embezzlement of public funds and the like have become a widespread, deeply rooted global and local phenomenon. Moreover, the means and methods of corruption are constantly evolving as a by-product of globalization and enormous technological development, and the ideas and tools available on the World Wide Web contribute to more corruption crimes at every level and in every walk of life. We heard about corruption at the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the rulings against Blatter and Platini banning them from football activities for 6 years, reduced to 4 years, plus a fine, before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, ruled last week to reduce the fine to 55,000 euros in return for receiving two million Swiss francs, which also amounts to entrenching corruption. Only recently the Panama Papers were revealed, along with the private accounts of many politicians such as David Cameron, the British Prime Minister. There are offshore transcontinental companies that pour huge investments into national projects without their investors or shareholders being known, and no one is unaware of the money laundering carried out through real estate in Britain, the United States and many other countries, whether in real estate, sporting activities or the sponsors of European football teams, in full view of the governments of those countries that champion the UN values of fighting corruption and integrity. As for the spread of corruption in Egypt, it has become an inheritance we must get rid of: the abundance and contradiction of legislation, random and unplanned hiring policies, low training budgets, pay disparities without transparent and fair criteria, low productivity, weak monitoring and performance-evaluation systems, and failure to rely on competence in selecting managers and employees. Add to this government bureaucracy and complex procedures, shortcomings in the organizational structures of the State's governmental and administrative apparatus, weak oversight, lengthy judicial procedures, lack of transparency, social acceptance of petty corruption, and the weak role of the media in raising awareness of the problem of corruption. All this has led to the spread of a culture of corruption within government institutions and elsewhere, and has produced the parallel economy and tax evasion, obstructed economic and human development and increased social inequality; the best example is corruption in local government. Corruption may also appear in the private sector and civil society organizations; it is not confined to the public sector. It is no exaggeration to say that corruption is the most important challenge, requiring a confrontation and a war fiercer and costlier than the one against terrorism. We must adopt an integrated national vision to combat corruption in every workplace in ministries, authorities, public and private utilities and citizen services, and instill the values of integrity, patriotism and citizenship in our children from the time they join school, institute, university, factory, authority, agency and club, while directing educational, religious and media curricula and programs towards confronting corruption. It is true that there are many national laws and international and regional agreements, in addition to the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2014–2018 prepared by the Sub-Coordinating Committee for Combating Corruption, which aims to combat and contain corruption in Egyptian society and to foster a social culture that rejects corruption. Now that the first half of the strategy has passed, we ask what has been achieved, and what the performance rates and indicators and the measurement of corruption in Egypt are. If insufficient transparency is one of the causes of corruption in Egypt, as stated in that strategy, then at the very least we must practice transparency and acknowledge our problems in order to reach solutions that build a future and a new generation that works with integrity and honor.