Jorn Madslien, BBC News
July 5, 2005

African business leaders are urging world leaders to help them fight corruption in their home countries, reports Jorn Madslien for the UK’s BBC News. Leaders at the Group of Eight (G-8) Business Action for Africa summit in London called on the G-8 and other wealthy nations to provide technical support to private-sector intermediaries fighting corruption, help develop and introduce codes of practice for companies, and strengthen anti-corruption alliances between business, governments and non-governmental organizations.

They could also assist African governments in tracing and recovering the proceeds of corruption hidden in wealthy countries. Although the G-8 could be part of the solution, it was also important to recognize that companies based in wealthy nations are often major
contributors to the problem, the conference heard.

“There is the corrupter and the corruptee, or the briber and the bribee,” said Elias Dewa, director of the Botswana Confederation of Commerce Industry and Manpower.

A large part of the problem is that many businesses, both African and non-African, see corruption as an integral part of doing business on the continent.

“The big multinationals that do business in Africa – some of them believe that to do business in Africa you have to pay bribes,” said Mr Dewa.

Red tape and the unwritten discretionary authority of African officials encourage companies to pay to bypass laws, said Mr Dewa, adding: “This again makes it a tough problem to combat. After all, powerful people’s lifestyles are on the line.”