This Anti-Corruption Helpdesk brief was produced in response to a query from one of Transparency International’s national chapters. The Anti-Corruption Helpdesk is operated by Transparency International and funded by the European Union.
Query
Has any country ever done a survey on the average value of bribes involved in transactions with government agencies from the perspective of companies and citizens? What methodologies were used?
Purpose
To collect data that will help the Vietnamese government to adjust fees, taxes and increase fairness.
Content
- Challenges involved in assessing the value of bribes
- Main approaches for measuring the value of bribes
- References
Summary
While most multi-country surveys do not attempt to estimate the value of bribes for a number of methodological reasons, a few measurement tools relating to experience of petty corruption include in their methodology an assessment of the average amount paid in bribes. There are three main approaches that can be undertaken to assess the value of bribes, including corruption surveys, exit surveys and online reporting.
Corruption surveys interview citizens, public officials and/or private firms regarding their experiences with petty corruption during a certain period of time. Exit surveys ask citizens about their experience of corruption shortly after they have accessed a public service at one of the government agencies. Finally, online reporting provide citizens with an online platform, where they can report their experiences of petty corruption almost immediately after they occur.
Authors
Moises Blanco Rios, Transparency International, [email protected]Reviewers
Marie Chêne, Transparency International; Santhosh Srinivasan, Transparency International;Coralie Pring, Transparency International; [email protected]Date
20/10/2015
