Sep 17 2010 |
more articles from
|
UK ambassador warns of graft in Lebanon
17 September 2010
BEIRUT: British Ambassador to Lebanon Francis Guy on Wednesday spoke out about the challenges and dangers of widespread corruption which continues to plague Lebanon.
In comments published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, she voiced concern over “the costs for future generations because of a backhander that breaks the rules” and described the practice of underpaid civil servants supplementing their salaries as “a classic third-world dilemma.”
Quoting members of the British-Lebanese Business Group, who met earlier this week, as saying their work was hampered by “Lebanese red tape and requests for backhanders,” she noted frequent complaints over residency and work permits taking too long to renew without “oil[ing] the wheels a little bit.”
But one organization was helping to change the status quo and was inspiring “hope.”
Positive developments abroad could also help to better the situation. The “British Bribery Act 2010,” expected to come into force early next year, has been designed to introduce a seriously strengthened framework for preventing and punishing bribery.
“This could represent part of the solution,” said Badri al-Meouchi, LTO executive director. “It is very hard for just one person to refuse a bribe on his own, but if you have a group, and all agree to act together, keep others informed about corruption or contact the embassy, then you have a much stronger basis for action.”
“What matters to us is not the speed with which reform takes place, but that we maintain a sense of momentum and direction for change.”
In 2009 Transparency International’s corruption perception index placed Lebanon 130th out of 180 countries, actually down from 2006 when the country was ranked 99.
© Copyright The Daily Star 2010.
Zawya Comment Policy
-
Zawya encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You agree that when you add content to this discussion your comments will not:
1.1 Contain any material which is libelous or defamatory of any person, is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory or causes damage to the reputation of any person or organisation.
1.2 Promote sexually explicit material, violence, discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age or any illegal activity.
1.3 Be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
1.4 Be threatening, abuse or invade another's privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
1.5 Be used to impersonate any person, to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person, or be likely to deceive any person.
1.6 Give the impression that they represent Zawya.
1.7 Advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse. - The content posted on www.zawya.com is created by members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of Zawya. Zawya reserves the right to review all comments prior to posting and edit or delete any contribution, but Zawya is not responsible for and can not be held liable for any content posted by members of the public on www.zawya.com.
- Zawya is not responsible for the availability or content of any third party sites that are accessible through www.zawya.com. Any links to third party websites from www.zawya.com do not amount to any endorsement of that site by Zawya and any use of that site by you is at your own risk.
- By submitting your comment, you hereby give Zawya the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comments worldwide, in perpetuity.
Copyright © 2012 Zawya Ltd. All rights reserved. |
provided by www.zawya.com |
Post Your Comment