Hometask #1

Moldova's latest corruption ranking of just 2.9 puts it alongside African countries such as Uganda, Rwanda and Mozambique

Corruption and poverty are deeply intertwined. Corruption is a major obstacle to sustained economic growth, poverty reduction, and social development. It distorts the rule of law, weakens the social fabric of society, and undermines the institutional foundation on which economic growth depends.

The top ten business sectors most likely to demand or accept bribes are:


At the same time, underdevelopment itself makes fighting corruption all the more difficult. Poverty makes corruption more of a temptation for underpaid officials, and weakens a society’s ability to build the institutions, the checks, and balances necessary to combat corruption. Therefore, fighting corruption requires a multi-prong approach. Accountability and transparency are the key. At the broadest level, fighting corruption starts with political accountability, through strong democratic systems, open political dialogue and debate, and appropriate checks and balances on the three branches of government. Strong economic policy can help fight corruption by reducing monopoly power, removing unnecessary regulations that create opportunities for bribes, and encouraging competition and productivity gains as a way to make profit, not bribery. Importantly, revenue collections and expenditures must be well-documented, transparent, and subject to strong and capable oversight. But governments alone cannot fight corruption. A strong civil society is vital to accountability and transparency.

Propensity to bribe

The ten most corrupt heads of state, based on the estimated sums they are alleged to have stolen, are:

We must all resolve to work longer and work harder to solve this problem which undermines our development effort and the reputation which we are trying to build for our country. We must move toward better systems of accountability, better enforcement of laws when accountability is abused. Truly we must do all we can to change our minds and attitudes.