Sapna, Kamal Sangra
The worst disease in the world today is corruption. And there is an antidote: transparency & accountability.
Governments around the globe are struggling today to eradicate corruption from their systems but are miserably failing to achieve the desired results as the issue is way deeper than it appears. Introspection, then, is the key. According to the United Nations, every year, over $1 trillion is paid in bribes. The World Economic Forum figures, however, state that corruption is estimated to cost over $2 trillion annually. This is equivalent to more than 5% of the global GDP.
The lack of political will is at the root of all structural issues. This International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD), which is being observed globally today, let us consider a fact with seriousness. All effective anti-corruption initiatives throughout the world have begun with a strong ‘political will’. The Georgian success is a case in point for all of us to ponder.
Before we delve deep into the case history of how Georgia wrote its success story, a bit on the relevance of IACD is a must. The UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UN-CAC) on October 31, 2003. Since then, IACD is being observed annually on December 9 to raise awareness against corruption and the role of the Convention in combating and preventing the same. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna serves as the Secretariat for the UN-CAC. Marking the twentieth anniversary of the UNCAC, governments across nations are consolidating their efforts to combat corruption and enhance transparency under the theme ‘UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption’. This year, the IACD highlights the link between anti-corruption and peace, security, and development. It aims to promote the notion that tackling corruption is everyone’s right and responsibility, and without action from all parts of society, institutions, and governments, we cannot overcome the negative impacts of corruption.
Reflecting on the scenario of Georgia, which was among the most corrupt nations in Europe, it was placed at 130th position in 2005 by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) among 180 countries. In a short span of five years, that is, in 2010, Georgia was placed at 73rd position, which further improved to 45th position in 2021. It’s imperative to dig out their target areas and strategies to make sense of how well we can handle and map our own targets.
Anti-corruption reforms in Georgia started with widespread protests, often called the Rose Revolution, over the corruption-riddled parliamentary elections of 2003, in which charges of corruption, nepotism, financial irregularities, and electoral fraud were leveled against President Eduard Shevardnadze, who ruled Georgia from 1995 to 2003. The protests ousted Shevardnadzee who was succeeded by his Minister of Justice, Mikheil Saakashvili, who, by the time, had moved to opposition and formed a United National Movement party with the motto “Georgia without Corruption.” Mikheil Saakashvili had earned the reputation of a whistleblower when he, as Minister of Justice, disrupted parliament proceedings by displaying pictures of the palatial houses of prominent bureaucrats and parliamentarians, alleging corruption and misuse of public funds by them.
With an overwhelming mandate of 96% of votes in favor of Mikheil Saakashvili in 2004 elections, the government had no alternative but to perform. However, it was an arduous task for President Mikheil Saakashvili, as his government had inherited an empty treasury and a failed state. To begin with, President Saakashvili abolished several ministries and brought young reformists into his cabinet. In the first Cabinet meeting, the defense minister revealed that his ministry didn’t have enough food for the soldiers. The finance minister, too, revealed that there was not a single lari (Georgian currency) in the Treasury. From this distressed beginning, President Mikheil Saakashvili had to lead Georgia.
The government unleashed a program of reforms unprecedented in scope and ambition that transformed Georgia completely within the short span of 15 years. In every single domain, the objectives were the same: to eliminate corruption across the board and improve service.
The top priority was given to tax collection and the all-out assault of criminals and corrupt officials across the board. The government changed the rule to investigate parliamentarians suspected of corruption. Earlier, parliamentary approval was needed to start an investigation, which was rarely given.
The bureaucracy too conveyed unequivocally zero tolerance for corruption. High-profile arrests of top criminals, government officials, and leading businessmen suspected of corruption were not only made but also telecast live. The government abolished the traffic police department and sacked 16,000 policemen overnight. It was observed that the traffic was better managed without traffic police. Nearly 2300 new traffic policemen were recruited a few months later. One-third of the staff of all law enforcement agencies was also reduced.
The Government also initiated reform in the judicial system. The requalification of all judges based on objectively administered examinations was fixed. Judges who passed the qualification process were appointed for 10-year terms and were given higher salaries and intensive training.
In higher education, the government sacked many influential elites in the universities and administered centralized university entrance examinations. Before reforms, each university had its own examination pattern, multiplying the opportunities for corruption. University professors were barred from assessment and grading. Entrance examination papers were printed in England, and sealed papers were sent back to Georgia and delivered in police cars to the chest of the national bank, where they were stored until examination day. Local and foreign observers monitored the exams, and international organizations such as Transparency International monitored the entire process.
The tax base, which included 80,000 taxpayers in 2003 increased to 252,000 by 2010. With money flowing into the treasury, the government strengthened its defense and electricity supply mechanism. From maximum eight hours of power supply a day in 2003, Georgia not only ensured 24-hour power supply but also became a net exporter of power by 2019. Several such reforms were carried out in other areas but tax collection, judiciary, police and higher education remained the key targets.
While lessons from the action oriented approach of Georgia can deliver the desired results provided there is a strong political will, we as global citizens of one-world must respond to it in our own myriad ways. Needless to say, continuing with our callous attitude to this serious issue may erode the global social fabric in the times to come. Hence, a call for an early redressal at its root!
(Dr Sapna teaches Sociology at the University of Jammu and Kamal Sangra is in ACB)
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