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Nearly 75% of Bahamian businesses pay bribes

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Nearly three-quarters of Bahamian firms have admitted to paying bribes to obtain permits and public services, it was revealed yesterday, with this nation ranked fourth in the Caribbean for this type of corruption.

An Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report, entitled ‘Are we there yet? The path towards sustained growth in the Caribbean’, disclosed that 73.4 percent of Bahamian companies have made “informal” payments to government officials to either obtain or speed-up the necessary approvals or access to services.

This ranked The Bahamas behind only Grenada, the regional leader where 78.7 percent of firms admitted to paying bribes; Dominica and Trinidad & Tobago. These payments, which one governance specialist yesterday argued further ingrain a “pay to play” culture in Bahamian society, were estimated as costing equivalent to 3.1 percent of a Bahamian company’s annual sales - a figure in line with regional trends.

Matt Aubry, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) executive director, told Tribune Business that the report’s findings merely reinforced the urgency with which The Bahamas needs to press on with fully enacting and implementing multiple anti-corruption reforms that have thus far been “stalled, delayed or not seen as a priority”.

Pointing out that Transparency International had in 2018 ranked The Bahamas as the Caribbean leader for the payment of bribes before they were even requested, he added that increasing acceptance of such a culture involving small, every day-type corruption such as paying public officials ‘lunch money’, continues to undermine integrity in governance, a fair competitive playing field and sustainable economic development.

“Again, when we get this kind of international attention, ORG typically takes it as yet another reminder of the opportunity to move forward on things that have been stalled, delayed or not seen as a priority,” Mr Aubry reiterated. “We’ve had a lot of discussion lately on the cost and ease of doing business. It’s already been noted that our bureaucracy and access to capital is challenging.

“Build in a component where there’s expectation of a ‘pay to play’ model is only going to further inhibit development of the local economy.” Mr Aubry said research by ORG post-Dorian had shown developing a strong, resilient local Bahamian economy was the best defence in adapting to climate change and preparing for hurricanes and other natural disasters, but this is directly undermined by the IDB study’s findings.

“Transparency International in 2018 said The Bahamas was the highest in the region for paying bribes before people were even asked,” the ORG chief recalled. “It was just accepted that this is what you do. It becomes part of the cost of doing business, which it shouldn’t be. 

“The main point is that money is not going to support businesses, it’s not going to support and improve government, it’s not going to be used for tax money and expenditures. It’s going into a space where it will be lost. This becomes another reason for us making this a priority, integrity in governance and the mechanisms we have in place to be fully resourced and active is absolutely key.

“The benefits that come out of it far outweigh the difficulties of making it happen.” Mr Aubry reiterated that this involves fully enacting and funding the Freedom of Information Act, plus ensuring the Public Procurement Act is fully defined and built-out, with bids issued in a timely manner and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) fully using the system.

He added that The Bahamas also needs to “push forward” with fully implementing the Ombudsman Act, which has already been passed by Parliament, and reforms to the Public Disclosure Act to ensure there is greater transparency.

“All these things are geared up,” Mr Aubry told Tribune Business. “In all honesty, The Bahamas has done a lot of this; the legislative foundation, and a lot of work is being done in government and the private sector to push forward and everything is above board.

“We’re not leveraging all of this together. This creates gaps and spaces which those looking to circumvent the system and go outside the law can exploit. By and large, as we talk to folks over the years, a lot of people want The Bahamas to be a place where you succeed based on your business plan, not your affiliation or association.”

While actual incidents of corruption, bribes and rent seeking are notoriously hard to prove, given that few victims are willing to go ‘on the record’ for fear of being victimised, Mr Aubry argued that even the “perception” of what is detailed in the IDB report could drive away blue chip, quality investment from both Bahamian and local sources by undermining confidence.

The IDB report itself referred to this, stating: “This type of rent-seeking behaviour is detrimental to the business environment. It directly increases the costs of doing business and generates policy distortions. Using early rounds of investment climate surveys, the World Bank estimated that 68.8 percent of firms in Latin America and the Caribbean reported paying bribes, with an average amount totalling 7 percent of sales.

“These types of payments are prevalent in two-thirds of Caribbean firms. The share of establishments required to make gifts or informal payments to public officials to ‘get things done’ varies by country. It can reach up to 78 percent of firms (Dominica and Grenada) but is less frequent in St Vincent and the Grenadines (42 percent) and Guyana (43 percent). Additionally, the reported amounts of informal payments average 3 percent of annual sales in the Caribbean.”

Elsewhere, the IDB report found that The Bahamas was among the most pessimistic Caribbean nations when it came to the COVID-19 pandemic with businesses in this nation having expected the restart of normal operations to take longer than all their regional counterparts.

“Firms that anticipated normal activities would resume expected that this would happen after 13 months, on average. That period varies by country, ranging from 10.6 months in Belize to 14.3 months in The Bahamas,” the study added. And this country’s expectation that the pandemic would last 28.07 months, or just over two years, was greater than the 25.09 month Caribbean average.

And, when it came to access to financing, the IDB study said The Bahamas and other Caribbean nations compare poorly to more developed nations when it comes to credit as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) or economic output. This nation’s ratio stood at just over 52 percent when compared to the triple digits more developed economies enjoy.

“The six Caribbean countries analysed here compare poorly with the average for both high income and middle income countries, which stood in 2022 at 162 percent and 132 percent, respectively,” the report added. The countries also fare poorly when compared to the Latin America and Caribbean average.

“Only Barbados has a deeper credit market than the regional average of 56 percent. Country size does not seem to be the determining factor, since the six countries are also all below the average for small states globally.”

Comments

Sickened 19 hours, 5 minutes ago

We really are a disgrace. Corruption at the top creates corruption at every level below. Well done PLP. You gangsters continue to make our country worse.

bcitizen 18 hours, 21 minutes ago

Shame is the bribes are not to do illegal things but, to just get the regular everyday legal things done

bahamianson 17 hours, 24 minutes ago

2018 the bahamas was the caribbean leader with the payment of bribes. At least we are #1 in bribery, rape etc, right..... Such a disgrace, but we all know how it goes. Not new.

LastManStanding 6 hours, 53 minutes ago

I've ran business for a while and haven't had to pay bribes to get things done but I will say that having someone you know in a given department that you can call to get things pushed through is a very helpful asset. Who you know is just as important as what you know in this country. Connections are everything.

IslandWarrior 6 hours, 16 minutes ago

The findings revealed in the IDB report and discussed in Neil Hartnell’s coverage highlight a concerning reality for The Bahamas: corruption, particularly the culture of paying bribes to expedite public services and obtain permits, remains a significant barrier to fair and equitable governance. With nearly 73.4% of Bahamian businesses reportedly making informal payments, the ramifications for economic growth, investor confidence, and public trust are profound.

As noted by Matt Aubry of the Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG), the normalization of such practices, where businesses feel compelled to pay what has been termed ‘lunch money’ to public officials, creates a distorted and unequal playing field. This culture undermines the competitive spirit of entrepreneurship, stifles innovation, and imposes hidden costs on companies that, instead of being channeled into productive business activities, are lost to corruption. The estimated 3.1% of annual sales spent on these payments exemplifies this economic drain and its negative impact on business operations and potential growth.

The IDB report further emphasizes that corruption and rent-seeking behavior lead to policy distortions and heightened costs, dissuading blue-chip investments and weakening the trust of local and international stakeholders. The experience described by PTI Bahamas concerning the Road Traffic Department serves as a prime example. The systemic inefficiencies, characterized by long wait times and disorganized processes for vehicle registration and inspection, seem intentionally structured to push the public toward paying bribes for expedited service. The lack of accountability and responsiveness in offering improved service, such as next-day license plates, underscores the deep entrenchment of this issue.

Such systemic challenges highlight the critical need for The Bahamas to prioritize and fully implement anti-corruption measures. As Aubry underscored, the benefits of ensuring transparency and accountability through mechanisms like the Freedom of Information Act and a robust Public Procurement Act far outweigh the implementation challenges. The urgency for comprehensive reform is evident, as it would foster a business environment based on merit and transparency, ultimately strengthening The Bahamas' economic resilience and international standing.

The road to overcoming corruption requires relentless dedication to establishing and enforcing governance reforms, fostering an environment where success is determined by sound business plans and innovation rather than connections or bribes. Only through such concerted efforts can The Bahamas hope to build a resilient and sustainable economic future that attracts and retains quality investment while ensuring equal opportunities for all.

IslandWarrior 6 hours, 15 minutes ago

The report's findings are also a damning indictment of both major political parties in The Bahamas, whose reliance on campaign promises of contracts and jobs perpetuates the entrenched culture of corruption. The practice of trading political support for the promise of future benefits, encapsulated in slogans like "our time" or the more opportunistic "See what you can get," underpins a system where favoritism and informal payments are not only expected but have become a deeply rooted way of life.

These promises, often made in the heat of election campaigns, foster a "pay to play" culture that continues long after the votes are counted. When political allegiance becomes synonymous with access to government contracts and jobs, it undermines the principles of transparency, meritocracy, and fair competition. This environment breeds inefficiencies, encourages rent-seeking behavior, and ultimately erodes public confidence in the governance system. The reality is that both parties have contributed to this cycle, where political patronage is used to secure votes and support, with little regard for the long-term consequences on economic stability and governance. As the report suggests, breaking free from this cycle requires comprehensive reforms that address both the legal and cultural dimensions of corruption. Only by moving beyond political expediency and focusing on accountability and transparent governance can The Bahamas hope to dismantle this pervasive system and build a more equitable society.

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