How can citizens who do not have the luck to live in a (relatively) developped and corruption-free world react to the daily pressure from officials to be paid for services, such as registration of a birth or a marriage, admission to hospital, are normally free. This article from the NY Times reports the appearance of websites in several countries that denounce petty bribery, giving horrifying practical illustrations:
- The cost of claiming a legitimate income tax refund in Hyderabad, India? 10,000 rupees.
- The going rate to get a child who has already passed the entrance requirements into high school in Nairobi, Kenya? 20,000 shillings.
- The expense of obtaining a driver’s license after having passed the test in Karachi, Pakistan? 3,000 rupees.
The original ipaidabribe.com was created in August 2010 to collect anonymous reports of bribes paid, bribes requested but not paid and requests that were expected but not forthcoming and already comprises some 15,000 contributions. Others have since been set up in other countries such as China and Kenya.
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