4. BRIBERY WITHIN BUSINESS SECTORS INDEX OF BRIBERY IN BUSINESS SECTORS 2011 The 2011 Bribe Payers Survey gathers business people’s views on the likelihood of bribes being paid by companies in 19 different business sectors. The results indicate that bribery is perceived to be common across all sectors, with no sector scoring above 7.1 on a 10-point scale (see Figure 4). Agriculture and light manufacturing are perceived to be the least bribery-prone sectors, followed by civilian aerospace and information technology. The public works contracts and construction sector ranks last, as it did in 2008. Other sectors ranked in the bottom quarter of the table include utilities; real estate, property, legal and business services; oil and gas; and mining. These sectors are all characterised by high-value investment and significant government interaction and regulation, both of which provide opportunities and incentives for corruption. These sectors are also particularly important from a development perspective, as they require decisions to be made with respect to the use and ownership of a country’s core resources and infrastructure. These decisions have significant consequences for the well-being of future generations. With bribery seen as widespread in these sectors, countries working with foreign companies should be conscious of bribe paying and not tolerate unethical practices. In such instances, independent civil society organisations that monitor the deals between government and companies can play an important role in increasing transparency and accountability and reducing bribery and corruption risks.
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Transparency International