Corruption Undermines Society, Its Advancement

In a foreword to its annual report, Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2019, the global organization Transparency International lamented that more than two-thirds of countries, including many of the world’s most advanced economies, are stagnating or showing signs of backsliding in their anti-corruption efforts. 

The annual CPI, which scores and ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt a country’s public sector is perceived to be, is one of the most widely used indicators of corruption worldwide. In the 2019 CPI, that was published in late January, Kuwait was found to fare dismally relative to its neighbors in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bloc. Kuwait not only scored and ranked lowest among GCC states, its CPI score of 40, out of a potential 100, was even below the global average score of 43. This score marked a drop of one point from its score in 2018, while its global rank of 85 out of a total of 180 countries and territories in the index was a drop of seven positions from its 2018 level.

Relative to Kuwait, the score and rank of other GCC countries in 2019 were better with most improving their positions from a year earlier. UAE with a score of 71 out of 100 earned the highest rank among GCC states and a global rank of 21. In second place in the GCC was Qatar, which received a score of 62 to rank 30 globally. Saudi Arabia with a score of 53 was ranked 51, followed closely by Oman with a score of 52 and a global rank of 56. Bahrain with a score of 42 and rank 77 was placed marginally higher than Kuwait.

Kuwait has steadfastly maintained a low rank in the corruption index over the years. One of the reasons for this lower ranking is the widespread phenomena of ‘wasta’ — the use of influence to get things done — that undermines confidence in the system. One report by the International Monetary Fund showed that Kuwait was among the top-three countries in the Middle-East where wasta was a precondition for getting jobs. Young, qualified job applicants in the country who are victims of wasta are often heard denouncing the system, saying “it is not what you know, but who you know” that determines placements and advancements in jobs. 

Expatriates in the country are also all too familiar with the concept of wasta that makes it possible to get most things done in Kuwait for the right price and if you know the right person.

Commenting on pervasive corruption in the country, Associate Professor of History at Kuwait University and a nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, Dr. Bader Musa Al-Saif said “Corruption has become a basic feature of daily life in Kuwait, and unlike the 1990 external invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, corruption has become an internal invasion threatening the existence of the state and its ability to function.”

Wasta is widespread in the public system and permeates all sectors of economy and society, from the illegal distribution of the state’s scarce agricultural land to placements in the country’s vital oil sector. High-level cases of nepotism in various subsidiaries of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and the recent case of favoritism in appointments and promotions at the oil ministry that have led to the referring of several top officials to the public prosecution, are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  

Over the years, the prevalence of wasta in the ordinary life of citizens and expatriates has led to its transition into an acceptable method to get things done quickly or illegally. However, this social acceptance has allowed the phenomena to slowly escalate and transition into its present humongous form that directly and indirectly threatens the country’s economic, political and social spheres. 

Fraudulent activities are another aspect of corruption that are increasingly being brought to the limelight by the media and in parliament. The list of deceptive, and often imaginative, practices to defraud state funds seem endless, including the employment of nationals as  ‘ghost’ workers to swindle state funds meant to encourage citizens to opt for work in the private sector; the use of forged university degrees by officials and academics to gain jobs and promotions; and, citizens who feign serious illness to claim treatment abroad so they can enjoy a vacation at state expenses.

On the other hand, Kuwait’s lower rank and score in the annual CPI, relative to its GCC peers, could also be attributed to the greater transparency in government dealings brought on by checks and balances from the presence of a more democratic political structure. A very vocal and contentious parliament monitors and scrutinizes each government deal in detail, a vigilant and relatively independent State Audit Bureau appraises major public sector ventures, and the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority, Nazaha, examines reports and complaints of corruption from various government entities and civil society organizations before referring those found valid to relevant agencies for further actions. While many other GCC states have equivalent anti-corruption monitoring bodies, what they do lack is oversight from an elected legislature and a relatively free media.

However, while parliamentary probes and grillings of ministers have in the past led to many corruption cases surfacing, it has not made Kuwait any more cleaner or less scandalous with regard to corruption. Cases of corruption in Kuwait have continued to emerge in a never-ending stream; while this gives fodder for some lawmakers looking to score political brownie points by showing up the government as weak in the fight against corruption, it also damages the international reputation of the country and its financial outlook for investors. 

Another downside to this belligerent political environment is that Kuwait remains far behind other GCC states when it comes to implementing infrastructure projects and initiating major economic reforms. Authorities remain timidly cautious of launching even legitimate developmental projects for fear of being accused of engaging in corruptions. In addition, the government’s attempts to implement much-needed economic and financial reforms have also been thwarted at every step by lawmakers.  MPs often point to the government’s inability to rein-in corruption, spendthrift expenditures and the lack of realistic economic plans as their reasons for delaying projects or policies.

A symposium on ‘Kuwait and the Index of International Corruption Perceptions’, held by the Kuwait Bar Association in early February saw many high profile speakers decry the current corruption levels, as well as the lack of transparency and shortcomings in monitoring corruption in the country.

Speakers noted that crimes related to corruption are committed behind closed doors, making it difficult to measure its actual rate, and many of the arrests over corruption are usually selectively imposed. The speakers called on authorities to cement transparency, strengthen independent monitoring and improve integrity in anti-corruption measures by engaging with various stakeholders, including civil society organizations.

Speaking on the occasion, the former Secretary- General of the Anti-Corruption Public Authority (NAZAHA) Ahmad Al-Rumaihi said, “Since the establishment of NAZAHA, there have been divisions and conflicts regarding mandates. There is also a need to train employees in analyzing corruption cases effectively.” Expressing his dismay at the response of authorities to investigation and reports and convictions submitted by the Authority, he suggested that the organization should find a more efficient way of operating. 

Head of Kuwait Bar Association, Sharyan Al-Sharyan, explained that “the task of developing a country begins with community control and we have collapsed civil society institutions, which could have advanced with lightning speed if the laws are applied properly without discrimination, especially on the people who use their public offices to amass wealth. “The country and its people should cement the tradition of integrity and transparency in the daily life of the society through education, and there must be oversight for all authorities, including the judiciary,” said Al-Sharyan.

The condoning or ‘shutting the eye’ by the authorities and the public to seemingly minor infarctions in the early stages have resulted in the emergence of an attitude among many people that ‘anything goes as long as you are not found out’. Major corruption scandals that have emerged in the last couple of years can be attributed to this line of thinking. From rampant cases of human trafficking to instances of international money laundering, corruption has grown in volume and scope that it has not only tarnished the image of Kuwait on the international stage but also, more importantly, deeply gashed the moral fabric of society. What is needed in the long-term interests of the country is to educate society, especially the youth, on the ethics of integrity and transparency in the context of an integrated view of corruption, said Dr. Al-Saif.

 

Source: Timeskuwait

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