Survey shows that perception of corruption & bribery on the rise
As also reported by BDLive’s Evan Pickworth, a recent Ernst & Young survey shows that the perception of widespread bribery and corruption by South African executives has increased climbed by 16% to an overall 78% response.
The article mentions the “high-profile regulatory enforcement [that] has been taking place since the 2009 crisis highlighted gaping holes in the system, but most of this action has centred on banks and insurers. The challenge remains closing loopholes across all business sectors before they lead to another crisis.”
The EY survey – entitled “Navigating today’s complex business risks Europe, Middle East, India and Africa Fraud Survey 2013” – placed South Africa third on the overall perceptions of bribery and corruption, behind Nigeria (88%) and Kenya (87%) and just before Greece at 72%. Namibia closed the top five with a reading of 72%.
While approximately 7% of global executives were reported to have been asked to pay bribes, the South African figure is 43% higher, at 10%.
The report also shows a “perception gap” of dramatic proportions in Kenya, where 94% of respondents said they feel that corrupt practices are commonplace in their country, yet only 26% perceived it was common to use bribes to win contracts in their particular industry sector.
Finally, there is the question of discriminatory application of anti-bribery laws: 3 African nations made the top-10 list in this category, including South Africa (29% agreed that their authorities regulated foreign companies more heavily than local businesses), Nigeria (26%) and the 4th-ranked overall, Kenya (36%).
Anti-Fraud & Corruption Law in Africa 