CORRUPTION IS A SYMPTOM OF THIRD WORLD DEVELOPMENT.

Corruption is a symptom of third world development



Corruption is a symptom of third world development

Introduction

Worldwide public opinion, harnessed through organizations like Transparency International, carry out yearly corruption assessment of nations worldwide. Although the assessment is useful, it has drawbacks, chief of which is, bias in favour of developed nations. The labeling of extreme corruption against third world countries, although deserved, unfairly affect their citizens in world trade and investment. (Alexandra Wrage 2007, 565-78)

Corruption in developing countries is perpetrated in the main, by their respective governments. The said governments apply incredible ingenuity in suppressing their own people with the support of developed countries. Third world governments' classical method is to stifle private enterprise and thereby concentrating all wealth acquisition in the public sector. They reason it is easy to oppress ignorant, hungry and poor people. True. First, they ensure there is minimal investment in education. Without education, the citizens cannot improve on their lives, economically and socially. The middle class then spend, as they do in Nigeria, about seventy-five percent of their income on their kids' education. That way thousands of people have good education at a steep and stifling prize. With good education in the third world, you are still very much in the tunnel. You try to set up a private business or use your expertise some other way to improve your lot. No way. The government controls the provision of water, telephone services and electricity. What it provides is inadequate and of poor quality. No business can viably compete in the circumstances. (Alexandra Wrage 2007, 565-78)

Explanation

If you have a good education, provide your own infrastructure (which costs six times what same would cost in New York or Tokyo), you are confronted with government imposed economic sabotage. Both monetary and fiscal polices are deliberately designed and ruthlessly implemented to ensure the intelligentsia has little chance to improve his condition. For instance, there is no reasonable credit. The interest rates on credit are about 23% in Nigeria now, payable in maximum of two years. You are determined, and take the loans all the same - - to compete with imports, produced with cheap funds (at 2-5% interest), because you must persevere. You may source the funds from friends and family members. Good. You learn very soon it takes more than education, creativity and perseverance to exist in a society programmed to oppress the people.

If the foregoings are within your control, security is not. The government controls the security apparatus. You, your family and business will not have satisfactory government security — the first duty of any government. You will have to rely solely on your means. This is where you can hardly win. (Alexandra Wrage 2007, 565-78)

With the circumstances as stated, many people are given to corruption in the third world. They find corruption the least resistance. In resume, bad governance is central to corruption in third world countries. If the developed world desists from being accessories to corruption and ...