The corruption curse

Kuwait Times, Wednesday, October 26, 2005

By Hamid Yousuf Al-Gharaballi

Sociologists and politicians have vigorously debated it, the connoisseurs at diwaniyas have impaired their voices talking about it, the pens of writers, intellectuals and analysts have dried up, and the hot and sensitive topic has eventually synthesised in to the texture of the society.

Corruption has grown into a national evil, ubiquitous in every sphere of our life, wreaking havoc on our country's progress and development. Our atmosphere is clouded with corruption, contaminating the very air that we breathe, it poisons our thoughts, depresses our nerves, dampens our resolve and productivity. Corruption, by nature, engenders oppression.

Aren't the perpetrators of corruption ashamed in front of his Lord, himself, his neighbours and the society? How can any civilized being carry out such shameful acts like lying, cheating, bribing and thieving? The simple answer is: He knows he will not be caught or punished. So he dares to go deeper into corrupt practices and keeps on sucking the society's blood like parasites. All types of corruption precipitate the decaying of society, and undermine its cohesiveness. The characteristics of corruption are the absence of conscience, morality, trust and values of life.

The corrupt citizens, in my opinion, pose a strategic danger to the national security, because they lack the basic regard to patriotism and loyalty to the country. As for the corrupter, he is the master who taught them theft, and he is the expert in corruption affairs and its corrupted applications all over the country, where its evil ambitions reach to the level of tyranny.

Corruption has many dimensions, most important of which is the administrative corruption, which is instilled in public sector departments. In my column 'Diminishing productivity in government departments' published in Al-Qabas on Oct 21, I criticised the administrative machinery of the country and diagnosed its drawbacks. I have proposed some modern administrative solutions to deal with the malady, like analysis of the organisational structures and what may result in the form of mergers (cancellations), or create new structures. Analyse the methods of work and present flexible alternatives, apply the job description and performance evaluation methods.

Salary structures should be reviewed, while taking interest in training and development. As for the employment process, competence, qualifications and experience must be the decisive factors for selection, not the prevailing theory "this is our child, take care of him."

So, if the municipality's camels cannot "bear" its corruption, even the containers of Shuwaikh and Shuaiba ports may not be able to accommodate the magnitude of it. I have selected few samples of corruption, just for clarifying my point.

* A plane-load of bird-flu infected consignment from affected Asian countries arrive in Kuwait, flouting all official procedures including the veterinary clearances, threatening the very existence of people. This is while the entire world is pursuing extraordinary precautions to keep the epidemic at bay.

* Quite recently, the contents of a reservoir were reportedly dumped directly into the sea without chemical treatment to get rid of the bacteria, parasites and other germs, endangering the environment and marine life. It was also discovered that the periodical maintenance was not carried out for 10 years.

* Malpractices in the recruitment of nursing staff were reported recently, and the bribery ring has its roots in the health ministry. The lapses in ministry's regulations and the corrupt employees are to be blamed for not discovering the violations quickly.

* In a warning issued by Kuwait Society for Environment Protection, it has been mentioned that all government and private departments were informed about the large scale mercury pollution on Al-Salam beach, near the new petroleum building, threatening the salt unit in the vicinity. It was removed from the beach to some other area, but no one, except some insiders, knew about the mercury left out in the marine environment. The society asked people not to swim or fish near the beach due to the danger mercury can cause on human beings. Why people were not informed at the right time about the pollution? Such carelessness can prove fatal sometimes. I saw many families happily swimming on the mercury-contaminated beach before the warning was issued; I hope the pollution will not affect the new oil building.

* I do not want to talk much about drug-related problems and their patrons, nor about the bribes and embezzlement of public funds, nor about the Internet and billiards café's, nor about Wasta and what it does to employments and promotions, nor about the cancerous groups that only think about their own interests, regardless of whatever happens to the country...

What is the solution? The solution does not need a math formula, nor a magic wand, laws and procedures are enough to control the country and protect it from the pandemic corruption. The key here is to give law its teeth of steel to monitor, deter and punish all violations. Wasta is the mother of all violations, so whenever it is eradicated, the country will flourish, and people will live in a democratic ambience that safeguards all with its warm and strong arms. Freedom, justice and equality for all, where all people are equal in rights and duties. Kuwaiti people will then rise in unison against corruption and its strong 'yellow' winds. And we will be successful in implementing the reform programmes, which we desperately need now. - Al-Qabas