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| Source: Traveldudes |
If the government is serious in dealing the culture of corruption a devastating blow, it should decriminalize the paying of ‘harassment bribes’, while substantially enhancing the punishment for demanding or receiving bribes. Link here.I based my argument on the work of Prof. Kaushik Basu of Cornell University. Dr. Basu uses the term "harassment bribe" for the bribes that members of public must pay to avoid facing a grave loss.
Many countries' penal codes make both the taking and giving of bribe equally illegal and culpable. But, no course of action remains other than bribing the concerned official for a student with hard timelines needing her diploma certificate or a house owner urgently requiring a title certificate of her property.
Decriminalizing bribe-giving in such situations will reduce the incidence of bribe-taking, for the sufferer will no longer be discouraged from reporting the tormentor.
Good
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