Reducing corruption and bribery in Africa as a target of the sustainable development goals: applying indicators for assessing performance
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMLC-03-2021-0018 |
| Published date | 05 July 2021 |
| Date | 05 July 2021 |
| Pages | 313-329 |
| Subject Matter | Accounting & finance,Financial risk/company failure,Financial compliance/regulation,Financial crime |
| Author | Kempe Ronald Hope, Sr. |
Reducing corruption and bribery
in Africa as a target of the
sustainable development goals:
applying indicators for
assessing performance
Kempe Ronald Hope, Sr.
DPI, Oakville, Canada
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to assessAfrican performance for substantially reducing all forms
of corruption and bribery on the continent by 2030, through the indicators for achieving Target 16.5 of the
sustainabledevelopment goals (SDGs).
Design/methodology/approach –Drawing on the available and accessible relevantdata from credible
sources, this work quantifies, outlines and analyses the relationship between corruption/bribery and
sustainable development as it applies primarily to sub-Saharan Africa; assesses the trends in the region
through the official indicators for achieving Target 16.5 of the SDGs; and recommends other indicators for
assessing ethical behaviour in Africanpolitical, administrative and business leadership and institutions for
achieving sustainable development and improved ethical performance towards significant reductions in all
manifestationsof bribery and corruption on the continent by 2030.
Findings –Corruption and bribery are found to affect all SDG-relatedsectors, undermining development
outcomes and severely compromising efforts to achieve the SDGs in Africa. Consequently, prioritising
corruption reduction including from money laundering, bribery and other illegal activities is a necessary
requirement for achieving sustainable development, good governance, building effective and inclusive
institutionsas required by SDG 16, and funding the achievementof the SDGs.
Originality/value –The main value of the paper is the insights it provides through the very
comprehensive compilation of statistical information that quantifies, and with analysis, the corruption/
briberyavenues and the resultant deleterious effectson sustainable development in Africa.
Keywords Africa, Sustainable development goals, Bribery indicators, Bribery reduction,
Corruption indicators, Corruption reduction
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
In Africa, corruption remains an inescapable problem with nocent consequences on
sustainable developmentacross the continent. As observed by Pring and Vrushi (2019,p.2),
“corruption is hindering Africa’s economic, political and social development”, and “it is a
major barrier to economic growth, goodgovernance and basic freedoms, such as freedom of
speech or citizens’right to hold governments to account”. Corruption diverts government
resources afield from the public spending that contributes to sustainable development. An
often-quoted estimate, but originating more than two decades ago, is that the African
This work is derived from research for a global study that was partially supported by a grant from
Simon Fraser University and the Canadian Academy of Independent Scholars (CAIS).
Reducing
corruption and
bribery in
Africa
313
Journalof Money Laundering
Control
Vol.25 No. 2, 2022
pp. 313-329
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1368-5201
DOI 10.1108/JMLC-03-2021-0018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/1368-5201.htm
continent loses approximatelyas much as US$148bn annually –equivalent to about 25% of
the continent’s average gross domestic product (GDP) –through both direct and indirect
costs of assorted corruptacts, and which also increases the cost of goods by as much as 20%
(Blunt, 2002;Kimenyi and Mbaku, 2011; United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
[UNECA, 2016]). It hasalso been estimated that corruption costs Africa up to 50%in lost tax
revenues and over US$30bnin aid annually (Salami et al.,2013).
Corruption –especially given the further opportunities now provided by increased
procurement and other public spendingto respond to the COVID-19 pandemic –is therefore
a major challenge to African nations achieving all of the sustainable development goals
(SDGs) which is the ambitious agenda for transforming the world that was adopted by
United Nations (UN) member states in September 2015 to replace the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) (UN, 2015). The SDGs officially became operative in January
2016. The scale of corruption in Africa, and throughout all developing countries as well,
hinders development performance and escalates poverty, robbing the most vulnerable
populations of fair access to crucial public goods and services required to sustain
development (Transparency International [TI, 2017]). Indeed, all of the evidence suggests
that sustainable development is not achievable in an environment where there is rampant
corruption which also has negative consequencesfor achieving peaceful, just and inclusive
societies (Hope, 2020a). In general, corruption represents a cancer on any society and
adversely impacts a country’s economic development. This applies whether it be a nation
that has realigned itself to a moremarket-type economy from a central planning one such as
China; an unabashedly capitalist state such as the United States; Global South countries
such as found in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania; or mixed economies such as
those in Europe.
Consequently, there is need to tackle corruption for meeting the SDGs, while attacking
the affliction itself hasbecome a major policy priority for development institutionsas well as
an increasing number of nations. In that respect, SDG 16 aims to promote peaceful and
inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build
effective, accountableand inclusive institutions at all levels. Among its targets (Target 16.5)is
to substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms. To measure and monitor
progress towardsachieving this target, two indicators have been approved:
(1) the proportion of persons who had at least one contact with a public official and
who paid a bribe to a public official, or were asked for a bribe by those public
officials, during the previous 12 months; and
(2) the proportion of businesses that had at least one contact with a public official and
that paid a bribe to a public official, or were asked for a bribe by those public
officials during the previous 12 months (UN, 2017).
Undoubtedly, and as also noted by Hope (2020a,2021), recognising and then including
bribery and corruption amongthe SDGs are laudable and necessary as corruption, including
bribery, has become one of the world’smost pressing challenges.
Drawing on the available and accessible relevant data from credible national, regional,
and international sources, this work outlines and analyses the relationship between
corruption/bribery and sustainable development as it applies primarily to sub-Saharan
Africa; assesses the trends in the region through the official indicators for achieving Target
16.5 of the SDGs; and recommends other indicators for assessing ethical behaviour in
African political, administrative, and business leadership and institutions for achieving
sustainable development and improved ethical performance towards significant reductions
in all manifestations of briberyand corruption on the continent by 2030.
JMLC
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