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16 April 2008

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Poll: Bribery spending rising

MEXICO CITY � Mexicans spent a whopping US$2.58 billion in bribes in 2007, some 42% more than they doled out just two years ago, according to a poll released Wednesday.
The survey, conducted by the non-profit group Transparency Mexico, showed that 197 million bribes were paid nationwide in 2007 � compared to 115 million in 2005.

That's almost two for every living Mexican, given the country's population of about 105 million. Bribes ate up about 8% of family incomes here in 2007, the study said.

"It has become a habit here in Mexico, and that makes me angry," 30-year-old law student Sarahi Sanchez said. "It hurts, because Mexico is more than just its government. Mexico is not all about corruption. Mexico has art and culture and beauty."

The poll found that while more people are giving out bribes, the average bribe was smaller: about US$13, compared to US$17 in 2005.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Mexico City
Smaller bribes include those shelled out to avoid traffic tickets or pay off informal "parking attendants," private citizens who block off sections of public streets and force drivers to "tip" them for giving them a space. The attendants, in turn, pay police for the right to operate.

The poll interviewed 16,000 people face-to-face throughout the country in December 2007 and had a margin of error of less than 1 percentage point.

Corruption is so rooted and pervasive in Mexican culture that many people see nothing wrong with it. A continuum runs from tipping a waiter to bribing a politician, with no clear line separating what's acceptable and what's not.

For Rodolfo Guzman, bribes are the price of doing business.

The Mexico City bus driver hands out about US$48 per year to cops so they turn a blind eye when he drops off and picks up passengers at places along the road that are not official bus stops. The bribes run between US$3.20 to US$4.75 every time police catch him.

"The truth is, it is just easier that way," Guzman said, noting that paying a traffic fine would be more costly and time consuming.

But the study also reveals Mexicans must pay bribes even when they're not breaking the law.

Bribes move about 10% of all government transactions � including those to obtain construction licenses, vehicle inspection stickers and street-vending permits.

Among the top 10 most frequent bribes people reported paying were to city tanker trucks that deliver drinking water to homes in poorer neighborhoods. Others paid to get their trash collected, their goods passed through customs and their cars out of police lots after they were towed.

Mexican authorities say part of the problem is that citizens don't refuse to pay the bribes. The government has run numerous ads encouraging Mexicans to report corruption.

That may be easier said than done. The sixth most common type of bribe, according to the study? Money given to investigators to ensure they file crime reports.

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USAtoday.com16 April 2008

Poll: Bribery spending rising

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USAtoday.com
16 April 2008