Granger says corruption not confined to public sector
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
GRANGER... graft can only become widespread if there is a symbiotic relationship between different people or groups
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — President David Granger has said that the public sector is not the only area where corruption prevails, and called on the private sector as well as the offshore financial services to help deal with the problem.
“The public must play its part. The international community must play its part to change public attitudes towards corruption and to allow for greater transparency and accountability. Efforts of Government in improving accountability and transparency will be frustrated unless these partners play their part,” Granger said.
“Corruption must therefore be confronted. This task will not be easy. Corruption is resilient and highly resistant to efforts of eradication. Its roots have penetrated deep into the subsoil of national life. It must be uprooted if Guyanese are to have a chance at the good life,” Granger remarked at the launch of the publication,
The publication, written by former Auditor General Dr Anand Goolsarran, has a series of articles on the issue.
Granger said that it is impossible for one corrupt person to thrive, noting that graft can only become widespread if there is a symbiotic relationship between different people or groups – an aspect that is not often analysed.
“Some people describe corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain, but I think that there should be a more plastic interpretation. I do believe that the real sources of corruption are evident in other crimes – bribery, contraband smuggling, cronyism, fraud, graft, nepotism.
“These are all aspects of the monster of corruption. These crimes can escape detection because of the lack of transparency, and that is why people like opaque transactions because it conceals corruption. They can go unpunished because of a lack of accountability and they can flourish because of weak governance. It is my view that corruption in Guyana is more widespread outside of Government,” he said.
He also noted that crimes of tax evasion, narcotics trafficking, trafficking in persons and money laundering all contribute to corruption and hinder development.
“We accept that corruption is corrosive because it weakens the enforcement of the law. It weakens our democratic values. It weakens our accountability and transparency. It weakens public trust in Government and the institutions of government.