The corrupt take advantage of the passivity of the citizens to commit a crime and most of us are waiting for others to face the problem. The above is the result that when talking about corruption, different concepts are handled, since in the case of behavior that violates the norms, typifying it is subject to what the community understands as acceptable and personal values. In this context, those who prioritize the accumulation of material wealth, extreme consumption and selfish individualism are corrupted and corrupted, which leads to the defrauding of society and the gradual degradation of the principles that govern public ethics.
Although corruption manifests itself in different ways, its common denominator is the need for two parties - one that grants favors and the other that rewards them with improper payments - nonetheless, no matter how rampant corruption is and how difficult it is to do business with the sector Public without bribery, the decision to corrupt is personal and justifying it by citing external factors is equivalent to denying and despising individual freedom.
We face a social evil in which the corrupt have perfected themselves in the shadow of our tolerance and indifference. In truth, we cannot avoid being part of the problem by assuming a permissive, consensual, and unintended attitude, since this personal complacency in the face of corruption facilitates the way to its improvement, allowing the corrupt to reach high levels of sophistication. Before it was rewarded with cash, nowadays, thanks to the modernization of the forms of exchange, the instruments are numerous and less evident.
As for the repercussions, for the public sector, beyond the increase in the cost of its operation and that of state-managed projects, corruption distorts investment decisions - the priority may range from social need to the most favorable option for corrupt - with the possible degradation and decrease of the provision of sanitation, medical and hospital services, education, social assistance, security and disaster prevention; what for some citizens can mean the difference between life and death. In the same way, corrupt acts reduce the available resources destined to invest in the public infrastructure necessary to encourage economic growth and investment, generate employment,equip the private sector with the ability to compete with foreign products and attract international tourism.
On the other hand, corruption puts pressure on the proper functioning of the state derived from the surcharge that the unscrupulous supplier imposes on goods and services to recover the bribery cost, secondly due to the inefficiency generated in the rigged allocation of tenders, in third place due to the decrease in tax income as a result of the decrease in economic activity and lastly, due to direct tax fraud. Thus, the corrupt contribute to the imbalances of public finances, forcing the state to increase taxation and to over-indebt itself under harsh conditions with the usual increase in financial expenses, which combined with the increase in debt service restricts the resources available to investment and social spending. Also,that the country's risk rating deteriorates, weakening its negotiating position with financial institutions and international organizations and donors, undermining its ability to achieve fiscal goals that would allow access to more favorable credit conditions,
With regard to the private sector, in addition to the negative consequences of corruption related to deficiencies in public infrastructure, mention should also be made of the economic punishment imposed on the honest businessman in favor of the scoundrel and the effect of this situation on the ability to compete. of the investor who complies with the law; which endangers their permanence in the market promoting the appearance of monopolies and oligopolies that manipulate prices as well as the supply and quality of goods and services, with the danger that important markets for the well-being of the population could be controlled by unscrupulous.
In conclusion, the corrupt contribute to the deterioration in the supply, price and quality of the goods and services provided by the public and private sectors; they promote the reduction of economic activity, private investment and tourism; they cause jobs to be lost and lead to a decline in state investment in infrastructure, education, security and public health. All of the above results in an increase in insecurity, crime and poverty levels, thereby distorting income distribution, widening the gap between rich and poor, and decreasing the quality of life of the general population.
So what to do to stop paying the cost of corruption? The call is to take an active part in combating it, since social responses will depend on the position we assume as individuals. On a personal level, the commitment is to withdraw from any act of corruption and the corrupt.
At this point, it should be noted that taking individual belligerent positions does not guarantee a clear and forceful institutional and social response, since this reaction will be conditioned by the nature of the incriminated acts, by the socially accepted and rejected ethical norms and by the position Of the media. In fact, the political influence and economic power of the corrupt largely determine the official and social reaction to dishonest acts, which, by force of habit, can be tolerated and even accepted.
The fight against corruption begins with a change in personal attitude and values formation at the family level, which must permeate society. As forgers of what constitutes socially accepted norms, the responsibility for facilitating the spread of anti-corruption values rests with political, social and religious leaders, businessmen, educational institutions and the media. The foregoing is complemented by adequate controls to ensure transparency in state contracting and guarantee due citizen protection; implemented by apolitical units made up of people of the highest ethical and professional quality, who as guarantors of the law must be in charge of persecuting and punishing the corrupt with all the weight of justice.
