Bribery and Corruption in Finance: A Growing Plague in Jamaica
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For decades, Jamaica has been plagued by political impropriety involving taxpayers’ resources. The latest scandals have left many wondering if anything will change.
Recent Scandals
Just last year, the Science, Energy and Technology Ministry was embroiled in a series of corruption allegations involving entities under its portfolio, including the Petrojam scandal that led to the resignation of Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley. Meanwhile, Education, Youth and Information Minister Ruel Reid resigned over allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds.
Lack of Accountability
Despite numerous scandals, only one government minister has served jail time for misusing public resources - Senator James A. G. Smith, who was imprisoned in 1990 for diverting money from farm workers for personal gain.
Experts’ View
Experts say that while resignations are a step in the right direction, effective investigations and prosecutions are necessary to restore public trust. Professor Trevor Munroe of the National Integrity Action says that Jamaica’s democracy is dependent on the effective operation of new laws and institutions bringing high-level facilitators of organized crime to justice.
Government Officials Resign
The country has seen numerous government officials resign over allegations of political impropriety, including:
- Ministers Horace Clarke
- Errol Ennis
- Karl Blythe
- Colin Campbell
- Kern Spencer
- Joseph Hibbert
- Dr Ronald Robinson
- Mike Henry
- Richard Azan
Public Perception
Despite these scandals, the majority of Jamaicans believe that half or more of their politicians are corrupt.
Experts’ Warning
Munroe notes that corruption is increasing and public confidence in democratic institutions is declining. The official National Security Policy identifies corruption as the number one threat to national security, while the Global Competitiveness Report repeatedly highlights corruption as a major problem for doing business in Jamaica. Almost $100 billion is being sucked annually from the national economy by crime and corruption.
Breaking Free from Corruption
It remains to be seen if Jamaica can break free from its cycle of bribery and corruption, but experts say that effective action is needed to restore public trust and promote economic growth.