20+ Government Corruption Examples | Ukraine, USA, India etc.
No one likes to think about it, but unfortunately, government corruption is a reality in many countries around the world. In some cases, corruption is endemic and the citizens of these countries must find ways to work around it in order to be successful. The following blog post will dive deeper into government corruption examples and provide insight into some of the common corrupt practices that occur around the globe.
1) The Democratic Republic of the Congo:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a country with a long history of government corruption. In 2006, a World Bank report estimated that government corruption in the DRC had cost billions of dollars in lost revenue and squandered public funds.
Evidence of corruption in the DRC dates back to the earliest days of freedom from colonial rule.
From its independence in 1960, the government has been plagued by a lack of transparency and accountability, rampant mismanagement, and bribery. In recent years, the scale of corruption in the DRC has only grown.
It is thought that much of the money made through corruption is funneled offshore, leaving the country’s population with little benefit. This has become particularly evident in the mining industry, which is one of the country’s most important sources of income. Large multinational companies are able to win contracts with the government at inflated prices and then pay bribes to officials in order to make the deals illegal.
This has caused outrage among the population, and public discontent has been mounting. Furthermore, corrupt politicians and officials often take part in illegal practices such as nepotism and cronyism.
This means those with ties to the government are rewarded with lucrative positions and receive preferential treatment. This leads to an unfair advantage for those individuals, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and inequality in the country.
2) South Africa:
One of the most prominent examples of corruption in government institutions can be found in South Africa. This is especially true in the public sector, where reports of bribery, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds are rife.
A recent report revealed that corruption in the awarding of public contracts is costing the country up to 4% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) every year.
Furthermore, South Africa has been regularly ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. This is due in part to the prevalence of kickbacks, nepotism and cronyism within the government.
This problem is particularly common in the political arena where powerful individuals are able to use their positions to enrich themselves at the expense of the public. For example, former President Jacob Zuma has been implicated in several corruption scandals and is said to have used public funds for personal gain.
Similarly, many of his political allies have been accused of misusing public office for their own gain and are believed to have benefited from shady land deals. Compounding the problem is a lack of effective measures to hold corrupt individuals accountable.
As a result, very few of those implicated in corruption have ever faced justice and the entire system of government remains highly susceptible to abuse.
More government corruption examples on the next page…