Corruption: enough seminars, throw somebody in jail already
A good editorial from the YO:
Yemen has just received a rather unspectacular overall “Very Weak” rating in the 2006 Global Integrity Index. This index was created to assess national anti-corruption policies and practices in countries around the world. International organizations like Transparency International, Global Integrity, the World Bank and many others generally base their reports on data received over the previous year. Alas, Yemen has generally come out at the top of the list of the most corrupt countries.
There has been a great deal of talk about battling corruption in Yemen, but apparently less action. Fighting corruption naturally begins with good governance. And Yemen’s government has been expending a notable effort to raise awareness of the issue. It launched a huge anti-corruption awareness campaign last year, and President Ali Abdullah Saleh has endorsed new anti-corruption legislation. A new authority to battle corruption and track down corrupt people is about to be set up. Local civil society organizations have been abuzz with talk about all the different ways the tide of corruption can be stemmed.
But despite all of the strong words, it’s difficult to see any concrete results as of yet. Naturally, it is not in the interest of those practicing corruption to allow anti-corruption efforts to proceed smoothly and effectively. According to a high-level source, several influential politicians guilty of corruption have been stalling efforts to implement anti-corruption legislation. The public has a right to know who these people are, and what they have been doing with public funds. It is to be hoped that these figures will be properly investigated and prosecuted; these public actions will go a long way toward convincing the public that something is actually being done about corruption, and that this new legislation is having an effect.
This is no easy task, we know. But time is of the essence. The sooner we get serious about taking corrupt officials to task, the sooner we stop money from hemorrhaging out of the public trust. People starve every day as a result of the pilfering of corrupt politicians. The public is eager to see the prosecution of corrupt individuals or networks, because these prosecutions will prove to them that the government is not all talk. They want to see at least one rial of the dwindling public funds returned to its proper place.
International reports such as this latest one by Global Integrity should be taken very seriously by the government and executive bodies. As long as the international community perceives there to be corruption in Yemen, it will fear investing in our country. This is one reason it is so important to alter the world’s impression that Yemen is thoroughly corrupt by taking some dramatic and public actions to deal with the bad apples in government.
Government should also enhance the media’s access to information, so the fourth estate can do its work of monitoring the officials the public has elected, and making sure they are doing what they have promised to do. Government should enhance transparency in all of its dealings, including its efforts to control prices. We keep hearing that Saleh has ordered the stabilization of prices, yet the price tags on our food keep showing higher prices.
Yemen’s chances of lassoing some new investors at upcoming investment conferences will be damaged if the perception of corruption in this country is not dealt with, as promptly as possible. All stakeholders should act jointly to address the issue of corruption and strategically prioritize issues according to a public action plan. We have had more than enough symposiums and seminars on ways to fight corruption. It is time for real actions.
