Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Afghan bribes

Half of all Afghan adults paid at least one bribe to a public official over the course of a year to cut through red tape or get help with poor service, the U.N. said Tuesday in a report that documents the extraordinary depth of corruption in Afghanistan.

Afghans paid nearly $2.5 billion in bribes — worth almost a quarter of the country's GDP — in the 12-month period ending last autumn.

The average bribe cost $160 — a hefty sum in a country with a per capita income of nearly $500, according to the report, based on interviews with thousands of people across Afghanistan.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-01-20-afghanistan-report_N.htm

These bribes are being collected by the government officials our children are fighting and dieing for.

Why?

No comments: