And for a Friday which coincides with IACD – International Anti-Corruption Day, some thoughts….. some musings…..
IACD has special significance for Indians. As of 1st December 2022, India has assumed the Presidentship of G20 and will host all the G20 Leaders meetings for the first time ever in different cities covering many states. The focus areas identified are Employment, Tourism, Women Empowerment and ANTI-CORRUPTION measures. The G20 President is also the head of the G20 – ACWG ( Anti Corruption Working Group ) whose thematic focus areas include Public and private sector integrity, bribery, International cooperation, asset recovery, beneficial ownership, vulnerable sectors and capacity building for anti corruption measures. In each of these areas, India needs as much or more measures compared to other developing and poor countries.
Corruption and Bribery are really the heart of the problems of continued poverty and the huge disparity between the haves and the have-nots. Whilst every one of us have many stories to tell and can recall many instances of corruption, measures to counteract and curb corruption seem beyond our capacity and that’s the Elephant-in-the-room. There is no denying that at the Cabinet level in Delhi, there is a huge reduction in bribery and sleaze. Every Industrialist and Corporate Honcho will endorse that there is less need to go to Delhi these days. But the same is absolutely not true at other levels and that’s the chance each honest tax paying citizen has got opportunity now during G20. Locate a good NGO. Find out how you can help promote good governance and fight corruption. Every citizen must be involved. It’s too big a problem to leave to only the Government of the day. There are many good NGOs. PCGT is one of them. If nothing else you can do, at least visit the PCGT site and contribute to the cause by pressing the Donate button. Of course, only Indians can donate thru this Donate button of www.pcgt.org.
The Global volatility and economic turmoil has huge consequences pushing the poor and underdeveloped countries to further misery. Let us all help India be the exception to the world. Let’s all fight corruption, the involved way, the pragmatic way, the SEEGOS way.