Madam, - John O'Shea (June 12th) calls for more action to combat corruption in Africa. His argument is that the $60 billion in aid promised by the G8 is dwarfed by the $148 billion lost annually to Africa through corruption.
Mr O'Shea has written in your pages many times on this issue, but has not, to my knowledge, produced any clear suggestions for effective action.
Corruption is indeed a serious issue, affecting most those people who can least afford it: the poor. However, the vast majority of corruption cases arise not in development aid, but in the interaction between private businesses, often from the developed world, and government officials. Bribery, money laundering, tax havens and counterfeiting all involve illegal activities that take place across borders, and in every country in the world. Nobody can be bribed unless someone else offers an inducement.
If we in Ireland are concerned about corruption, the appropriate response - as was recently pointed out by the Irish Catholic Bishops ("Irish bishops urge G8 leaders to fulfil aid promises", The Irish Times, June 5th) - is not simply to cut overseas aid, as Mr O'Shea seems to be suggesting, but for donor countries and developing countries to work together to address both "supply" and "demand" sides of corruption.
On the "supply side", Ireland could show real leadership by ratifying the UN Convention against Corruption - thus making it more difficult for companies to give bribes - signing up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and by setting up an effective national integrity system, as called for by Transparency International. On the "demand" side, Ireland should help put in place the mechanisms and legislation that promote transparency and accountability in both developing countries and their partner countries in the developed world.
Developing countries that receive Irish aid do so because they need it: some have come out of wars or have only recently made the difficult transition to democracy. Helping these countries tackle corruption requires more engagement and assistance, not less. As well as continually updating the financial and audit systems used in the aid programme, Ireland should help parliaments, media and citizens' organisations in Africa build the robust structures required to promote the true enemy of corruption: transparency.
Cutting aid - Mr O'Shea's "solution" - effectively means running away from the problems, abandoning the poor, and leaving the problem of corruption untouched. - Yours, etc,
HANS ZOMER, Director, Dóchas, Harcourt Street, Dublin 2.