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Bribery in Afghanistan: A Reality Within the Civil Service

Kabul, Afghanistan - A recent survey has revealed that a significant number of public officials in Afghanistan reported being offered bribes in exchange for better services. The survey, conducted in 2012, found that nearly a quarter of local authority officials and over 10% of police officers received bribery offers.

Reasons for Bribery Offers

• Among police officers, the most common reasons for bribery offers were:
  • To facilitate the release of permits or documents
  • To avoid fines
  • To prevent imprisonment
  • To speed up the release of prisoners
• Border police reported receiving offers to facilitate the trafficking of people and weapons
• Teachers and lecturers received bribery offers to improve exam results and provide information about exam contents

Patterns of Bribery

• In over 85% of cases, the bribe was either directly or indirectly requested by a public official
• Only 13% were offered by citizens
• Many officials explicitly request kickbacks for their services, indicating a lack of fear and shame in engaging in corrupt practices

Geographical Patterns

• There is no notable geographical pattern to bribery requests made by region or urban/ rural breakdown in Afghanistan

Demographics

• Surprisingly, female citizens were more likely to make bribe offers than male citizens
  • 23.3% of female respondents reported making a bribe offer compared to 6.8% of male respondents

Implications and Recommendations

• The survey’s findings suggest that bribery is a widespread problem within the civil service in Afghanistan, and that it is essential to develop and implement concrete measures to combat corruption
• The study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms and impact of bribery in the public sector, highlighting the need for greater transparency and accountability among public officials
• A comprehensive approach is needed to combat corruption, including explicit or implicit requests for kickbacks and varied modalities of bribe requests/ offers

Conclusion

In conclusion, the survey’s findings highlight the pervasive nature of bribery within the civil service in Afghanistan, and underscore the need for greater transparency and accountability among public officials. The study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms and impact of bribery, and serves as a call to action for policymakers and stakeholders to develop effective measures to combat corruption.