Corruption survey results good as nothing - Dapat

The Cebu business sector seems unimpressed by survey results presented by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) on corruption in enterprises, saying the study may have shown better results, but still it needs to be acted upon by the government.

"We comfort ourselves on hearing the 2005-2006 improvement on corruption, but what is the value of this survey? What steps have been taken by the government to respond to such survey results," said Sabino Dapat, former president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) in a nationwide simultaneous presentation of the survey result yesterday, presented via video conference by SWS president Mahar Mangahas.

The Cebu component was attended by mostly businessmen, and some government officials at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel, together with similar conferences on the same time in Metro Manila, Cagayan de Oro City, and Davao City.

The survey reported that there is a declining trend in corrupt transaction involvement among private sector players and there is a growing use of honest business practices, and steady enthusiasm of managers for fighting corruption.

Expectedly, the survey showed unfavorable findings about the government, with large drops in the ratings of most agencies for sincerity in fighting corruption, from the previous round in 2005.

Based on the result, the proportions of managers saying that "most" or "almost all" of companies in their line of business give bribes to win public sector contracts declined in Metro Manila (46 percent in 2006 from 57 percent in 2003), and in Metro Cebu (47 percent in 2006 from 62 percent in 2004).

The culture of fighting against corruption has largely improved in the private sector practices, however it is far from universal, the survey indicated that it is improving in the key cities in the Philippines, Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.

Only about half of the managers say that companies in their sector always demand receipts. Thirty-seven percent said that companies always issue receipts, while 25 percent say their companies keep only keep one set of books and a mere 20 percent say the companies always pay taxes "honestly."

There is also a declining trend as to solicitations for bribes on certain transactions during the past year. Thirty-three percent of the managers said they had been asked for a bribe to get a local government permit or licenses, while 29 percent for national government permit and licenses, 22 percent on income tax manipulation, among others.

Most managers also believe that their company would make more profit if corruption were reduced to the level of Singapore. These managers' median expected increase in net income is 20 percent.

The survey also indicated that there are agencies in the government which implemented sincerity in fighting corruption- these are the Supreme Court, Social Security System (SSS).

Government agencies, which do not practice sincerity in fighting corruption, or are poorly rated are-Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), COMELEC, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

For her part, BOC-Cebu district collector Lourdes Mangaoang said poor sincerity in fighting corruption in BoC-Cebu is not true.

"We are sincere in fighting corruption here. It is concretely manifested by the support I got from the big business organizations in Cebu," an obviously irked Mangaoang said, who was present during the survey presentation yesterday.

Cebu Business Club (CBC) president Antonio Pineda said the organization is due to introduce advocacy in order to continuously fight corruption, although he solicited support from other organizations.

However, Dapat said unless the government will not exercise political will to lessen, if not eradicate rampant corruption, "surveys like these will be as good as nothing."