Afghanistan: Corruption = Insecurity

Afghanistan is perceived to be the second most corrupt country in the world according to the annual index compiled by Transparency International, i.e. second from the bottom out of 167 countries.

Most Afghans state that corruption is the third largest problem facing their country, according to a 2015 survey conducted by the Afghan Institute of Strategic Studies (AISS). The same survey found that 77% of Afghans do not trust their government because of the corruption they face when trying to obtain basic public services and another 86% believe that corruption disproportionately affects the poor who cannot afford to pay the bribes in order to receive public services.  The survey further revealed that 79% of Afghans believe there is no will in the Afghan government to seriously fight corruption and 90% believe that as corruption increases, so does insecurity.

Why would the Afghan citizens support a government that routinely robs them every day?  Especially when the very government from which they seek basic public services and which campaigned to end corruption, has itself come into existence as a result of massive voter fraud.  There is probably no more blatant example of corruption than a government stealing an election from its own people.  The result is an illegitimate government brokered into existence by foreign powers and sustained by lots of money and propped up by the occasional drone strike.

The Taliban insurgency that plagues Afghanistan is driven in part by public grievance against corruption.  The use of social media, e.g. Face Book, Twitter, YouTube, etc. has increased dramatically in Afghanistan and the narrative that the current government is corrupt and must be removed violently is the third most common theme broadcast by the Taliban to justify its cause and attract new recruits.  Just as people’s perception of corruption as a problem in their daily life has increased to 89% of the population, so have the Taliban come to increase their control of more territory than at any time since their fall in 2001.

Let’s personalize this a bit.  I head an international organization in Afghanistan that is subject to Afghan taxation, which the Afghan government sorely needs.  We have been trying to pay our taxes at the Ministry of Finance every week for the past three months to no avail.  Every time we show up to pay our taxes there is some new issue, e.g. the forms need new numbering, the computer system is down, you tax case manager is out today.  This is what’s called, “administrative corruption”, where slowdowns and obstacles are placed in your way until you “pay something extra” just to get your service.  According to the AISS survey, it’s what is experienced by 64% of the Afghan population whereby:

“…government employees try to show difficulties and complications for their administrative tasks in order to receive a bribe.”

I wonder if I would have an easier time paying taxes to the Taliban?

It’s all a sad dilemma, trending in the wrong direction, with no good way out, that will end badly.