How to keep the public service corruption free?

Actually there are a hundred and one things to do to keep corruption in govt services in check. We have the world’s most effective corruption prevention formula that may seemingly be legalising corruption by paying out front so that there is no more temptation to want to take more to risk losing everything. This formula would have removed a large chunk of those that may be tempted to corrupt, leaving only a smaller number of potential rogues in the system.

Next, our civil service was not born yesterday. It has been in operation for more than 48 years, even in colonial times, with well tested systems in place. And these systems and procedures have been constantly refined and improved to tighten up the loose ends over the years. By now, anything that can be tightened or enhanced to prevent corruption must have been worked into the system with tomes of manuals on operating procedures. It is unlikely that a mosquito could fly through the layers of mazes set up by the ministries to keep the mosquito out of the system. We have a very robust system of checks and controls. Believe me it is true.

To add to the checks and control there is the annual audit team to comb through the activities to make sure that all is in order. And the latest audit did reveal quite a number of lapses. And this is good as any discovery will mean that things can be captured and rectified.

And there is the fear CPIB to cast its shadow over anyone thinking crooked. This could be the last barrier to keep corruption out. If this fails, that nothing can hold anymore.

Chee Hean has replied to Low Thia Khiang’s queries on the recent spate of corruption involving senior govt officials, the reason for failure is never about the system but about the slack in maintaining and upholding the system. There seems to be an inability to follow standard and approved procedures or deliberately violated to abet corruption, or simply negligent on the part of the officers or their superiors. The flaws seemed to be the ease in circumventing a robust and tight systems of checks and controls. Why?

The causes of all the corruption cases are nothing sophisticated and bizarre that cannot be prevented. What could be the main contributor to the rise in corruption is lack of accountability. No heads will roll or at most a slap on the wrist would be considered the gravest punishment. How then could discipline and abiding to proper procedures be enforced when there is no fear factor? How would anyone not be tempted to take risk when the consequences are as good as no consequences?

A simple recommendation to ensure compliance to procedures is to make the officer directly accountable for his action. There can be flexibility for the officers on the ground to make exceptions but the officer must be directly responsible for his actions and be punished duly for not observing approved procedures or approving to override standard procedures. He decides and if things fall apart, his head rolls. Who ever authorises such actions, and if it leads to abuses or corruption in the system or process, shall be punished accordingly. And the minimum punishment could be demotion or if worse, dismissal and facing prosecution. When officers know that they will have to own up for their decisions, they will take more care to protect themselves and in the things they decide or approve.

The heads of dept, division or ministries must be the one ultimately responsible for the infringements and corruption appropriate to the authority he is bestowed with. When accountability and responsibility are well defined, the officers responsible would have to be very careful of their own actions and discretions. Without the will to punish anyone appropriately for corruption, it is only an open invitation for the officers to corrupt.

No matter how robust and well designed the checks and control systems are, without the will to enforce and take violators to task, it is as good as a system full of holes.