The United States ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, on Tuesday told a conference in Dhaka that the US was eager to help fight corruption in this country.
‘The United States is committed to working with Bangladesh to eliminate corruption, thereby enabling Bangladeshi citizens to enjoy a life of dignity and inviting more international trade and foreign investment,’ the ambassador told the gathering titled Call to Action Against Corruption National Summit, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies, a Bangladeshi non-government think-tank, with the support of the US-based Centre for International Private Enterprises at a hotel.
The CGS held the conference to present the final findings of a two-year research project aimed at identifying and evaluating corruption-related issues being faced by households and small and medium enterprises and adopting a joint declaration of action against corruption.
Recognising the important role a vibrant civil society and free media played in investigating and exposing instances of corruption, Haas said that American investors would choose whichever country had the lowest levels of corruption, the fewest bureaucratic obstacles, the greatest respect for the rule of law, and the best logistics infrastructure for their business.
Haas, who was addressing the event as the guest of honour, said that if Bangladesh could assure citizens and investors that corruption was less prevalent in Bangladesh than in other markets, it would attract more investment and help the country continue on the path of economic growth.
‘When societies exert such efforts, they prosper. I am confident this can be the case here in Bangladesh, as well, and the United States is eager to help,’ the ambassador said.
Corruption, he said, is a parasite that feeds on the resources of a society and drains it of its strength, adding that it can devastate every level of business and government, and sadly some notorious scandals have occurred in his own country.
Announcing the draft declaration against corruption, Ali Riaz, the principal research investigator and distinguished professor of Illinois State University, USA, said that the grassroots consultations under the research project initiated in February 2021 revealed that bribery and political influence were the most common forms of corruption in Bangladesh.
Corruption, he noted, has spread throughout the country as a disease and it requires a political will to contain it.
In a panel discussion, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder and former National Board of Revenue chairman Muhammad Abdul Mazid underlined the need for social and political goodwill to eliminate corruption.
In the present context, Ali Riaz said, there must be an independent platform of the SMEs to act collectively and create a ‘pressure group’ as the sector contributes 31 per cent of the country’s economy and employs around 25 million people.
‘We support initiatives that help Bangladeshi businesses meet international standards and regulations, making them more competitive in the global market. By promoting ethical business practices, we can create a more level-playing field for businesses of all sizes and encourage more foreign investment,’ the US ambassador said.
He suggested that Bangladesh could think about ways to empower institutions to tackle corruption and promote transparency and accountability in governance and business.
CGS chairman Manjur A Chowdhury stated that corruption in Bangladesh was systemic, all-pervasive, and affected virtually everyone.
Mohammad Saleh Jahur, professor of accounting and finance at the University of Chittagong, who served as a consultant for the research project, presented some critical findings of the study and said that nine out of 10 SME entrepreneurs who participated in the SME survey believed that there was widespread corruption in the sector while 74 per cent of the sampled respondents in the Regional Consultations said that entrepreneurs in the SME sector had directly experienced corruption.
CGS executive director Zillur Rahman moderated the panel discussion.
News Courtesy:
https://www.newagebd.net/article/197450/us-eager-to-help-fight-graft