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Graft increases despite ongoing drive: TIB

Staff Correspondent
Corruption in education, health, land administration, local government and in different utility services sectors increased in the first half of 2007 despite the caretaker government's anti-corruption drives, a survey by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) found.
In terms of magnitude, law enforcing agencies including the joint forces, police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) were found to be the most corrupt while land administration was found the most corrupt in terms of the amount of bribe that went into any sector, according to the National Household Survey on Corruption 2007.
Bribery claimed 3.84 percent of per capita income of the country during the period.
The survey however found that corruption decreased between January and June of 2007 in law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and in the power, banking
and tax sectors compared to the records of previous six months. "The severity of corruption, as we have seen during the past two elected governments' tenures, still exists. This is a very disappointing scenario," TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said while releasing the report yesterday.
The fourth in the series of regular surveys conducted every two years, the latest surveyed 5,000 households -- 2,000 in urban areas and the rest in rural areas in 62
districts -- on incidents of corruption that took place between July 2006 and June 2007.
"The people of the country had to payTk 5,443 crore in bribes for different public and private sector services. No major distinction was found in the magnitude of corrup tion in urban and rural areas, which is a proof of the deep rooted nature of the menace,” said Prof Muzaffer Ahmad, chairman of the TIB trustee board.
The survey revealed that 96.6 percent the households experienced harassment and corruption while interacting with or receiving services from law enforcing agencies.
Ninety four percent of them experienced harassment and corruption from police, 4.9 percent from the joint forces, and .8 percent from Rab.
Each household paid Tk 10,927 in bribe to avoid arrest while Tk 3,983 and Tk 795 had to be paid for lodging a complaint and general ^ar
diary respectively, Tk 2,605 had to be paid in bribe for a police clearance, Tk 1,703 for expediting submission of a charge-sheet, and Tk 5,120 for other services, the report said estimating the total amount of bribe in the sector during the survey period to beTk 879 crore.
"While taking services from local governments, 53.4 percent households had to face different types of corruption," said the report.
On an average for having a house construction plan approved Tk 5,005 in bribe was required, a bribe of Tk 3,120 was required for setting up a tube-well, Tk 840 for getting a VGF or VGD card, Tk 828 for collecting a certificate for fertiliser, and Tk 505 for a trade licence.
The average rate of bribe required for getting birth, death and nationality certificates wasTk 84 while a bribe of Tk 310 was needed for getting old age allowance.
"A total of 52.7 percent households became victims of corruption in one or another way while taking services from the land administration," the report read adding that
Tk 1,606 crore, or one third of the total amount of bribe circulated during the period in the country, went to the land administration sector.
Average rate of bribe was Tk 5,680 for government land distribution, Tk 4,237 for a land registration, Tk 3,857 for a land survey and delimitation, Tk 3,303 for a mutation,
Tk 1,857 for a land purchase or sale, Tk 1,639 for getting a document, andTk 1,170 to submit taxes.
Corruption continues to be pervasive in the country with two-thirds of the surveyed households experiencing varying forms of corruption for different public and private sector services, according to the report which added that 42.1 percent of the households had to pay bribe ofTk 4,134 on an average.
According to the report, 47.7 percent households became victims of corruption while taking services from the judiciary.
On an average Tk 5,124 was required for bribe at magistrate courts, Tk 5,516 at judge's courts, Tk 2,167 at the High Court, Tk 5,840
at special courts, and Tk 2,333 for other judicial services.
During the surveyed period, bribe ofTk 107 crore went into the health sector, the report said adding that 44.1 percent households became victims of corruption in the sector.
Most of the corruption in the health sector took‘place at Upazila health centres, where 47.9 percent of the victims had to pay bribes.
Of the total bribe in the sector, 36.5 percent went to doctors, 32 percent to nurses, 13.9 percent to employees, 9 percent to ward boys, and 4.7 percent to middlemen.
A total of 39.2 percent households became victims of corruption in the education sector which got a total bribe ofTk 117 crore during the period surveyed.
Irregularities in the sector were related to admissions, distribution of stipends, delays in holding exams and dependency on private tutoring.
"In the education sector, the rate of bribery increased to 44 percent in January-June, 2007 compared to the 12 percent during the period of July-December, 2006," the report said.
In the power sector, 33.2 percent households faced corruption that ate upTk 473.7 crore in bribe. Each household on an average had to pay Tk 2,552 to Desa, Tk 1,512 to PDB. Tk 1,468 to REB, and Tk 906 to Desco.
A total of 28.7 percent households became victims of corruption in the banking sector while 13.5 percent became the victims of irregularities while receiving services from the NGO sector.