Corruption in government agencies remain high despite efforts to eradicate it, a latest survey by the Social Weather Stations among small and big business firms showed recently.
The Asia Foundation-sponsored survey, conducted from November 3 to December 5, 2009 among top and middle-level managers, found that three out of five managers see “a lot” of corruption in the public sector, unchanged since 2008 and similar to 61 percent in 2007.
“Perception of managers on the extent of public sector corruption has not changed over the past three years,” SWS president Mahar Mangahas said in his presentation of the “2009 SWS Surveys of Enterprises on Corruption” at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center in Makati City recently.
The survey showed that nine out of 10 managers cited the national government as the level where corruption happens: it was 97 percent in Cagayan de Oro-Iligan City; 94 percent in Metro Manila; 91 percent in both Metro Cebu and Metro Davao and 89 percent in Cavite-Laguna-Batangas.
The new survey also showed that three out of five or (60 percent) of managers were asked for a bribe in at least one of the seven transactions tested.
The new figure, however, is 11 points lower than the record-high 71 percent in 2008 after it rose from 58 percent in 2006 and 61 percent in 2007.
Compared to the previous year, incidence of bribery declined for all seven transactions tested in the 2009 survey. It fell by 17 points in getting local government permits and licenses; 15 points in getting national government permits and licenses; eight points in availing of government incentives; seven points in supplying government with goods/services; six points in assessment and/or payment of income taxes; four points in complying with import regulations including payment of import duties; and four points in collecting receivables from government.
The 2009 survey found that compared with other areas, Metro Manila had the highest incidence of bribery solicitations in assessment and/or payment of income taxes (50 percent) and in complying with import regulations including payment of import duties (40 percent).
Reported solicitation of bribery was equally prevalent in Metro Cebu and Metro Manila in getting local permits and licenses, 42 percent and 39 percent, respectively.
Solicitation of bribery in getting national government permits and licenses was 40 percent in Metro Cebu and 39 percent in Metro Manila.
Reported solicitation of bribery in collecting receivables from government was 22 percent in both Metro Cebu and Metro Manila.
Reported solicitation of bribe in supplying government with goods/services was higher in Metro Manila (30 percent) and Cagayan de Oro-Iligan City (27 percent), while solicitation of bribery in availing of government incentives was more prevalent in Cagayan de Oro-Iligan City and Metro Cebu.
SWS said the proportion of managers reporting bribe solicitation to authorities has steadily risen from seven percent in 2006, 11 percent in 2007, to 14 percent in 2008, before dwindling back to nine percent in 2009.
The rate of reporting bribe solicitation was lower in Metro Manila and Metro Davao with six percent each compared to Metro Cebu (16 percent), Cavite-Laguna-Batangas (11 percent) and Cagayan de Oro-Iligan City (11 percent).
SWS said futility remains the most common reason for not reporting bribe solicitations.
The survey found that three-fourth (75 percent) of managers who were asked for a bribe and did not report it, saying “Nothing will be done anyway”, is down by four points in 2008.
Other reasons cited were “Afraid of reprisal” (51 percent), “Will spend much,” (50 percent), “Cannot prove anything,” (50 percent), “Too small a thing to bother,” (48 percent), “It is a standard practice not to report,” (46 percent), “Don’t know how or whom to report,” (44 percent), “Don’t want to betray anyone,” (32 percent) and “It is embarrassing,” (23 percent).
SWS said that for the past three years, almost one-third of managers cannot name any government agency which can be trusted to address complaints of corruptions: it was 28 percent in 2007, 32 percent in 2008, and 31 percent in 2009.
Of those who did name an agency, the Office of the Ombudsman was the most cited agency trusted by managers over the past three years, the SWS said.
In terms of sincerity in fighting corruption, the survey showed that the Filipino Business Associations obtained a “Very Good” score of +64.
Five institutions were rated “Good”. These are the Supreme Court +40; Social Security System, +40; Department of Trade and Industry, +38; Department of Health, +37; and the city/municipal government, +35.
Two agencies received “Moderate” ratings: the Trial Courts, +11 and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, +10.
Nine institutions received “Neutral” ratings: the Sandiganbayan, +8; the Commission on Audit, +8; Department of Education, net zero; Senate, -1; Department of Finance, -4; Department of Justice, -5; Government Service Insurance System, -5; Commission on Elections, -8; and the Office of the Ombudsman, -8.
Five obtained “Poor” ratings: Department of Budget and Management, -17; Philippine National Police, -17; Department of Agriculture, -19, Department of the Interior and Local Government, -25; Presidential Commission on Good Government, -28.
Six institutions were given “Bad” ratings: the Department of Transportation and Communications, -30; Presidential Anti-Graft and Corruption, -33; Department of Environment and Natural Resources, -34; House of Representatives, -34; Office of the President, -37; and the Land Transportation Office, -39.
Three obtained “Very bad” ratings: the Bureau of Internal Revenue, -57; Department of Public Works and Highways, -65; and Bureau of Customs, -69.
Topping the list of institutions with the most positive or improved change in corruption over the past five years were DTI with +13 and DOH +12.
On the other hand, the institutions that obtained the highest margins of worsening corruption were BOC with -41; BIR, -34; DPWH, -28; and the Office of the President, -14. SWS said the agencies also obtained the highest margins of worsening corruption in 2008.
Meanwhile, the 2009 survey found half of the managers optimistic that the government can be run without corruption and other half pessimistic that corruption is part of the way government works.
The survey likewise showed that the renewal of business permits and licenses is easier now compared to three years ago.
It used face-to-face interviews of 550 top and middle-level enterprise managers, 366 of whom from randomly drawn small and medium enterprises and 184 from randomly drawn large corporations.
It has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. – Philippine STAR News Service/The FREEMAN
