KARACHI (August 12 2006): The Transparency International (TI) has announced findings of Pakistan National Corruption Perception Survey-2006 here on Friday. The physical survey was started in April this year and completed in July 2006.

Major findings of the survey were announced by Syed Adil Gillani, chairman, TI, during a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club. Saad Rashid, executive-director, TI and Ms Shamim Kazmi, survey consultant, were also present on the occasion.

According to the survey, "police, power, judiciary and land departments are the most corrupt departments, while taxation, customs and health departments have improved their ranking since 2002."

This was the second national survey while the first was conducted by TI Pakistan in 2002 and a detailed report was prepared. The survey model prepared by TI in 2002 was used in the current exercise and a 24-page questioner was again used to carry out survey from 4,000 respondents across the country.

When asked which is the most corrupt province, the respondents said they considered their own province as the most corrupt, except the NWFP. The survey revealed that Punjab is the most corrupt province.

In all 68 percent respondents termed the district government system as a better system. Majority of the respondents (70 percent) feels the present privatisation policy will minimise corruption.

Adil Gillani said three main reasons of corruption in view of respondents were "lack of accountability, low salaries of government employees and discretionary powers".

Commenting on two investigation agencies, FIA and NAB, the NAB has been assessed as a better organisation with 58.52 percent supporting its work.

Bribery or palm-greasing has become so much part of the system that in all the 10 sectors, the demand is directly made by the officer or person involved, without needing a negotiator or middle-man.

Assuming that there are 20 million households (eight persons per house) in the country, average bribery expenditure comes out to be Rs2,303 per household. Petty corruption at the lowest level cost about Rs 45 billion.

The respondents were of the view that the ranking of 10 government departments are 1) police; 2) power; 3) judiciary; 4) land; 5) taxation; 6) customs; 7) health; 8) education; 9) railways and 10) banks.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2006