Some think of corruption as a concept, something that resides in the abstract, and that happens to the other man. Others see it as an irritant, a small matter, and not something worth discussing. Nothing could be more inaccurate, and especially in impoverished and borderline societies. In an attempt to illustrate realistically, I will lapse into the vernacular, on occasion.
Corruption starts small: ‘lef a raze.’ From the other side: “see wha yuh can duh…” Such are the first words and steps towards easy money and movement. Before long, it grows into a personal policy, a departmental programme, and a way of life. It is easy, it is rewarding, and everyone is doing it. The possibilities are endless. From the buyer’s standpoint, it is a tax, an acceptable way of doing business, and a proven way of getting things done. Where is the harm? There is movement, availability, results. Everybody is happy.
But what about those in the majority who cannot pay? Or those in the tiny minority who refuse to pay? What is the price for their lack of movement and results? Who is their Ombudsman? Where is their escalation and appeal process? So, not everybody is happy, and no cost can accurately reflect the state of these citizens. However, we move on to ‘bigger’ matters.
If the ethics and professionalism of servants is subject to the barter of the marketplace, how far is the distance from smoothing over a misdemeanour traffic violation to fixing a felony? How authentic – or people resistant – are passports and transports?
As a practical matter, corruption does not end at fixing things and moving matters along such as a barrel of consumer items. It progresses to a barrel of a different sort with the business end pointed at uncooperative consumers. An uncooperative consumer as in: “Ah aint payin” or “Ah gun taak.” By this time, corruption is no longer harmless or victimless – it is menacing, even deadly. ‘Lef a raze’ in different circumstances and with different players has now grown to leave no witnesses. Protect the players, and perpetuate the status quo.
Further, there are reports of so-called business men who have falsified situations and influenced the movements of resisting and ethical workers. Get onboard, get with the programme, or get out of the way. It is step up, step out, or get stepped on. It continues: commandants in sensitive areas alert intended targets of heat in the making. Stuff can get planted, and so can people. It can be as innocuous as arranging a birth certificate, or sending someone off. In other words, corruption can span from cradle to grave, and everything in between. At one time or another in recent years, all of this has happened in Guyana. No number, however unbiased or accurate, can sufficiently capture the reach and depth of local corruption and the extent of the damage wreaked.
So, corruption is neither abstract nor a little thing nor the other man’s problem. It is bigger than most of us can imagine; it is a national scourge that makes so many other things possible. And in one form or another, it impacts all of us for the worse.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
