During the last year, companies indicated that they paid bribes to different government agencies to become a supplier, obtain quotations and orders, and collect payments. The survey was conducted between May 22 and November 30 and received information from more than 18,000 respondents, with 75% of the bribes paid to officials in legal, metrology, food, drug, and health departments.
The report also highlighted that businesses are forced to bribe a variety of organizations such as GST officials, pollution control boards, municipal corporations, and power departments. Remarkably, 54 percent respondents said they were bribed while 46 percent respondents said they voluntarily paid bribes in order to speed up administrative work.
The statistics show that only 16% of firms were able to comply with the government without resorting to bribery, and 19% said they did not have to bribe. The overall culture of bribery seems to be very deep-rooted, because most firms believe it is necessary to speed up permits, compliance, and other administrative work.
Despite the measures taken to combat corruption, such as the introduction of digital platforms and improved surveillance through CCTV, the report indicates that these measures have not managed to reduce corrupt practices considerably. Bribes are often exchanged in private settings, evading surveillance.
Although the survey presents a dismal picture of corruption, respondents reported a decline in the number of bribery incidents and the total value of bribes paid over the past year. Aakash Sharma, a partner at Deloitte India, noted that the general assumption would be that minimal compliance with regulations will provide immunity from examination. Rather, according to him, emerging regulatory landscapes bring about the need for a complete re-look at compliance frameworks and implementing robust anti-corruption programs.
The challenges that emerge from these findings indicate the need for India’s bureaucracy to renew its efforts toward dealing with corruption and improving the transparency of government dealings.
