No Result
View All Result
SUBSCRIBE | NO FEES, NO PAYWALLS
MANAGE MY SUBSCRIPTION
NEWSLETTER
Corporate Compliance Insights
  • Home
  • About
    • About CCI
    • Writing for CCI
    • NEW: CCI Press – Book Publishing
    • Advertise With Us
  • Explore Topics
    • See All Articles
    • Compliance
    • Ethics
    • Risk
    • FCPA
    • Governance
    • Fraud
    • Internal Audit
    • HR Compliance
    • Cybersecurity
    • Data Privacy
    • Financial Services
    • Well-Being at Work
    • Leadership and Career
    • Opinion
  • Vendor News
  • Career Connection
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Library
    • Whitepapers & Reports
    • eBooks
    • CCI Press & Compliance Bookshelf
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Home
  • About
    • About CCI
    • Writing for CCI
    • NEW: CCI Press – Book Publishing
    • Advertise With Us
  • Explore Topics
    • See All Articles
    • Compliance
    • Ethics
    • Risk
    • FCPA
    • Governance
    • Fraud
    • Internal Audit
    • HR Compliance
    • Cybersecurity
    • Data Privacy
    • Financial Services
    • Well-Being at Work
    • Leadership and Career
    • Opinion
  • Vendor News
  • Career Connection
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Library
    • Whitepapers & Reports
    • eBooks
    • CCI Press & Compliance Bookshelf
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Corporate Compliance Insights
Home Compliance

‘ABC in APAC’ – Almost a Billion Bribes

by Wendy Wysong
April 13, 2017
in Compliance, Featured
man putting roll of bills in suit pocket

9 Measures to Combat Corruption

According to a recent Transparency International survey, bribery and corruption seem to be on the rise in the Asia-Pacific region. This is true even in China, despite the government’s crackdown on corruption. Although police were widely recognized as the most rampant facilitators of bribery, there are a number of steps the private sector can take to help drive systemic change.

with co-authors Michelle Mizutani and Jack Oakley

The contribution of private sector compliance was made even clearer by a new report published last month by Transparency International (TI), People and Corruption: Asia Pacific. According to the report, more than 900 million people across the 16 Asia-Pacific countries surveyed had paid a bribe in the past year when seeking to access basic services such as education or health care. That number equates to more than one-in-four people across those 16 countries.

The report concludes that, whilst some countries are perceived as doing well to combat bribery and corruption (e.g., Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Sri Lanka), others are not (e.g., Malaysia, Vietnam, India and China). Overall public sentiment is that the prevalence of corruption and bribery throughout the region remains endemic. While the report urges governments and individuals to do more to combat corruption, where private sector entities unite in their resolve to root out corruption, the overall effect can be far greater.

Findings: Corruption Prevalent

The report, based on almost 22,000 surveys, found that, overall, only one-in-five people surveyed believe that corruption is on the decline in the region.  Amongst other things, the survey asked the question: “Over the past year, has the level of corruption in this country increased, decreased or stayed the same?” In China, the question included the last three years, and 73 percent of those surveyed felt that corruption had increased, despite the corruption crackdown.

Out of six public services about which TI inquired, police are allegedly the most rampant facilitators of bribery. Over 30 percent of those surveyed who came into contact with police in the last 12 months reported that they were required to pay a bribe “either to get the assistance that they needed or to avoid a fine.”

The report reveals that those surveyed believe that “standing up and speaking out” are the best ways to fight corruption, but few people do so for fear of the consequences associated with whistleblowing or because of a lack of reporting channels.

The report offers a number of recommendations for governments — such as delivering on anti-corruption promises through national legislation and enacting public sector codes of conduct — and for individuals — such as facilitating greater protection for whistleblowers. But the report does not emphasize the force-multiplier effect of private sector enlistment.

How Private Sector Organisations Can Assist

In order to help effect systemic change with respect to the bribery and corruption prevalent in the region, one thing the private sector must do in tandem with government authorities is to lead by example. Organisations can help achieve TI’s recommendations by implementing the following remedial measures for combating bribery and corruption:

  1. Adopt strength in numbers through the formation of industry bodies to communicate, share ideas and engage in consultation with government authorities on matters such as legislative reform in the anti-bribery and corruption sphere to ensure promises are delivered upon;
  2. Conduct internal bribery and corruption risk assessments reflective of the size and status of the corporation and its operations, and use this information to inform training and compliance controls;
  3. Adopt best practice policies and procedures internally through the enactment of codes of conduct, anti-bribery/gifts and hospitality policies, together with rules and procedures directed at day-to-day business practices that are assessed as high-risk activities (e.g., client entertainment/hospitality, tendering/subcontracting processes, government projects and so on);
  4. Implement strong training and compliance programmes to educate employees and contractors about the bribery and corruption risks;
  5. Establish a reporting hierarchy through the development of organisational frameworks tailored to the needs of your business (such as appointing a compliance officer, establishing unique reporting hotlines and implementing an investigation procedure);
  6. Protect whistleblowers through the development and implementation of internal policies which afford job security and other protections to those who speak out against organisational corruption;
  7. Enforce strict sanctions for employees and contractors found to be engaged in bribery and/or corruption;
  8. Conduct regular and irregular audits to review whether preventative systems in place are reflective of market standard and are functioning as they should be; and
  9. Employ continuous improvement mechanisms to make necessary amendments to policies and procedures in place based on the results of audits.

We agree with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that “promoting private sector integrity is to the benefit of companies, governments and everyday citizens who all benefit from a stronger, cleaner and fairer world economy.”  By implementing our suggested remedial measures, organisations can work together with governments to stamp out the endemic bribery and corruption highlighted by the report.


Tags: Anti-BriberyAsia PacificTransparency International
Previous Post

Important Aspects of Mexico’s National Anti-Corruption System, Part 1

Next Post

Truth is Fungible in Cyberspace

Wendy Wysong

Wendy Wysong

Wendy L. Wysong is a partner at Steptoe & Johnson. She served previously as a litigation partner with Clifford Chance, offering clients advice and representation on compliance and enforcement under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Arms Export Control Act, International Traffic in Arms Regulations, Export Administration Regulations, and OFAC Economic Sanctions. She was appointed by the State Department as the ITAR Special Compliance Official for Xe Services (formerly Blackwater) in 2010. Wendy combines her experience as a former federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for 16 years with her regulatory background as the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce. She managed its enforcement program and was involved in the development and implementation of foreign policy through export controls across the administration, including the Departments of Justice, State, Treasury and Homeland Security, as well as the intelligence community. Wendy received her law degree in 1984 from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was a member of the University of Virginia Law Review.

Related Posts

abac

1-2-3s of ABAC Compliance Programs

by Jag Lamba
March 1, 2023

Despite the proliferation of laws aimed at fighting bribery and corruption, a recent international report found that most countries are...

Hogan Lovells Global Corruption Outlook 2023_f

Global Bribery and Corruption Outlook 2023

by Corporate Compliance Insights
February 16, 2023

What's to come this year? Demands for heightened oversight of employees, subsidiaries and third parties 2023 Update Global Bribery and...

greenwashing pollution

SEC Is Pushing Back Against Greenwashing; Bribery, Corruption Investigations Provide Valuable ESG Lessons

by FTI Consulting
August 10, 2022

Smart firms are investing in ESG programs not just to showcase their cultural bona fides but to appeal to consumers...

glencore building

As Details of $1B Glencore FCPA Settlement Show, Cooperation Pays

by Thomas Fox
June 15, 2022

The blockbuster settlement and plea agreement by Glencore tells the story of a multinational culture of corruption. Attorney and podcaster...

Next Post
mock “fake news live” logo

Truth is Fungible in Cyberspace

Compliance Job Interview Q&A

Jump to a Topic

AML Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Artificial Intelligence (AI) Automation Banking Board of Directors Board Risk Oversight Business Continuity Planning California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Code of Conduct Communications Management Corporate Culture COVID-19 Cryptocurrency Culture of Ethics Cybercrime Cyber Risk Data Analytics Data Breach Data Governance DOJ Download Due Diligence Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) ESG FCPA Enforcement Actions Financial Crime Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) GDPR HIPAA Know Your Customer (KYC) Machine Learning Monitoring RegTech Reputation Risk Risk Assessment SEC Social Media Risk Supply Chain Technology Third Party Risk Management Tone at the Top Training Whistleblowing
No Result
View All Result

Privacy Policy

Founded in 2010, CCI is the web’s premier global independent news source for compliance, ethics, risk and information security. 

Got a news tip? Get in touch. Want a weekly round-up in your inbox? Sign up for free. No subscription fees, no paywalls. 

Follow Us

Browse Topics:

  • CCI Press
  • Compliance
  • Compliance Podcasts
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data Privacy
  • eBooks Published by CCI
  • Ethics
  • FCPA
  • Featured
  • Financial Services
  • Fraud
  • Governance
  • GRC Vendor News
  • HR Compliance
  • Internal Audit
  • Leadership and Career
  • On Demand Webinars
  • Opinion
  • Resource Library
  • Risk
  • Uncategorized
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Well-Being
  • Whitepapers

© 2022 Corporate Compliance Insights

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
    • About CCI
    • Writing for CCI
    • NEW: CCI Press – Book Publishing
    • Advertise With Us
  • Explore Topics
    • See All Articles
    • Compliance
    • Ethics
    • Risk
    • FCPA
    • Governance
    • Fraud
    • Internal Audit
    • HR Compliance
    • Cybersecurity
    • Data Privacy
    • Financial Services
    • Well-Being at Work
    • Leadership and Career
    • Opinion
  • Vendor News
  • Career Connection
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Library
    • Whitepapers & Reports
    • eBooks
    • CCI Press & Compliance Bookshelf
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Corporate Compliance Insights

Welcome to CCI. This site uses cookies. Please click OK to accept. Privacy Policy
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT