FEATURES NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

CIAA's Latest Action
A Good Beginning To Control Corruption

By Dr. Niranjan Prasad Upadhyay

CORRUPTION is rampant in Nepal. Even the donor agencies indicate in national and international seminars that politicians as well as bureaucrats are involved in corruption practices. Accordingly, the donor agencies are reportedly intending to give aid only in the presence of good governance. In the context of establishing good governance, CIAA introduces bold acts to counter corruption on August 16, 2002.

Noteworthy

In the course of this action, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority CIAA raided the houses of 22 officials related to the Revenue Administration Department of the Ministry of Finance. They comprise two joint secretaries, six under secretaries, three section officers and eleven non-gazetted employees. Various levels of employees of the CIAA with entire operation taking place under the direct supervision of the Chief Commissioner and other commissioners of the CIAA have undertaken the raids. Under the corruption control Act 2002 and the second amendment to the CIAA Act 2002, the Commission has the authority to seize the property found beyond the known sources of income, impose fine and imprison offending officials for up to two years. If they are found involved in such activities, action against such individuals would also be initiated based on the amount of the property earned illegally. In reality, CIAA acts to counter corruption seems to be noteworthy in the context of good governance.

On the issue of corruption, Surya Nath Upadhyay, Chief Commissioner of CIAA writes an article "A fight for corruption control in Nepal" in the Journal of the Nepal Administrative Staff College. In that article he remarks that in the case of Nepal although people may have the temptation to flout the law for their political gain, if the law is implemented rather sternly it may be difficult in the initial period but in the long run that gets settled and the politics gets its own course of action. Furthermore, there is necessicity to make a law that requires a person to declare the legal source of the wealth acquired by him. Such strategy will greatly contribute to the fight for controlling corruption.

The word corruption is universal. These days, social researchers are indulging to deal with corruption in their own way. Especially, psychologists urge that nice and clean man may change his or her behaviour on the basis of social and family pressures and circumstances. American psychologist, David G. Myers (1994) has stressed in his book entitled "Exploring Social Psychology" that nice people also become corrupted through excessive social pressures. Basically, in developing countries like Nepal, the people always try to collect money and want to be a rich by different means. In day-to-day practice, family members force the nice and clean bureaucrats to get money by any means. In reality, such types of daily pressures of the family may disturb the balance of the government and non-governmental personnel.

Psychologically, corruption is an unsociable activity, which is learnt through nastiest parenting. Sound parenting by implication, aims at the best type of family climate for a congenial socialisation of the individual, as well as, a healthy development of his or her personality and self. Corruption is a major obstacle to development. It undermines democracy and destroys the creditability of government. Effective democracy requires a comprehensive attack on corruption as a factor of social disintegration and distortion of the economic system that undermines the legitimacy of political institutions.

Corruption in Nepal is so widespread that in spite of many efforts to reduce it, it exists at all levels of public bureaucracy. This is really a great challenge to the campaign of national development (Administrative Reform Commission's Report, 1975-76). Social status remained only on the money and power irrespective of its source. People with black money gain power and place themselves as an elite of the nation.

Researchers have come up with a simple equation placing corruption (C) as a function of monopoly (M), discretion (D) and accountability (A): C=M+D-A. This demonstrates clearly how corruption exists in an environment where a state organisation has monopoly power over the distribution of goods discretion to decide who receives them and is not accountable for its actions.

The Nepalese people do not bother about the source and nature of income, they worship money and all are behind it. Essentially, to secure an efficient civil service, it is essential to protect it from political and personal influences. Effectual democracy requires an abundance attack on corruption as a factor of social disintegration and distortion of the economic system that undermines the legitimacy of political institutions.

Letely, the government of Nepal has formulated governance reforms policy. As the new programme of anti-corruption, government aims at strengthening the legal framework for combating corruption through the involvement of civil society.

Due to the uncontrolled corruption in Nepal, socio-economic, political system of the county is badly deteriorated. In controlling corruption, government must impart awareness-building educations to the general public. Chiefly, to secure an efficient civil service, it is essential to protect it from political an personal influences. Nepal Public Expenditure Review, Document of the World Bank (2000) stresses that though there is little statistical evidence to conclusively prove whether corruption in Nepal has increased or not, there are enough examples to indicate the frequency of its incidence and how widespread the problem is.

Threat

Corruptions possess a fundamental threat to the political, economic and social well being of the country in both the near and distant future. Even the economic growth of the country is severely handicapped by an inadequate, inefficient and ill maintained infrastructure whose functioning is hampered by indescribable malpractices.

Other Stories