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Dylan Leong

Is High Pay the Answer? Is pay the best tool to eliminate corruption? - 30 views

started by Dylan Leong on 07 Feb 12
  • Dylan Leong
    #1 Dylan Leong on 07 Feb 12
     
    Take Singapore for example, by paying top salaries to leaders and ministers, we were able to attract the best and brightest to public service and reducing the temptation to engage in graft. Done properly, such initiatives can make government more efficient and economies more vibrant. as we can see from Transparency International ranking Singapore among the world's top five least-corrupt governments since 2001 and even best governed according to Worldwide Governance Indicators.

    With that being said, is money really such a strong motivating factor in the world of politics? Can there be something else like perhaps, the passion for building a better country for everyone? Politicians all aim to build a more well governed country where most of the citizens needs are met and where everyone is ultimately happy. So without money, they are simply just humanitarians.
    Surely the power of politicians is something many would love to have- to be able to have an influence over others and to govern people according to ways they deem best. But with that also brings about massive responsibilities. So is money really all that is to hold politicians back from falling into corruption? Can politicians adopt the humanitarian mindset, that selfless quest to build a better government and country without money at the back of their heads?
  • Dylan Leong
    #2 Dylan Leong on 07 Feb 12
     
    Anyway,if we really think about it, isn't paying a large amount
    to our Ministers in order to 'avoid corruption' also tantamount to 'bribery' and 'corruption'?
  • Jiawei Tan
    #3 Jiawei Tan on 07 Feb 12
     
    What I think it is, is that the high pay is enough money for them. With so much money, they do not need to turn to bribery and corruption to get more money, right?
  • syafiq bidin
    #5 syafiq bidin on 07 Feb 12
     
    As you mentioned, political leaders have massive responsibilities. As such, it requires tremendous effort and leadership to carry them out to the best of their abilities. It is only fitting that these political leaders are rewarded for their work and this comes in the form of a high pay (in Singapore's context).

    Fortunately for us, the Singapore government is among the world's top five least corrupt governments. In my opinion, a higher paycheck is merely one of a contributing factor to this achievement and not the best tool to eliminate corruption. If eliminating corruption is to be as easy as rewarding political leaders with an exorbitant paycheck, corruption would not be a perennial issue in today's world. I agree that the high pay will attract the cream of the crop to the public service and ensure they sustain and efficient and growing economy without corruption but conversely, with high pay, there also lies a risk of political leaders/governments to carry out their jobs with the minimum amount of effort and still enjoy the pleasures of a high pay. That in itself, is also a form of corruption. Therefore i believe that high pay is not the best tool to eliminate corruption
  • Krystle Tang
    #6 Krystle Tang on 07 Feb 12
     
    High pay is just one effective way to curb corruption.

    'In China, corruption is the common link between state-owned banks doling out billions of dollars to cronies; land grabs by local government officials; and the negligence that killed 40 people in a high-speed rail crash last July. If Beijing paid higher salaries, it might reduce the incidence of graft and rent-seeking that aggravates the lopsidedness of China's development.'

    With that, it can be seen that lowly paid officials in china has tempted them to engage in corruption as they feel that they are not receiving enough incentive for the work they do and the heavy responsibilities they have to shoulder. To get the money they think they deserve, they hence engage in corruption. It can then be reasonable to say that if these officials are paid more, the amount they are satisfied with, they will serve the country better and without engaging in corrupt practices.

    However, it can be argued that corruption can never be eliminated, even with high pay. An example of kenya, where the members of parliament receive high pay but corruption still exist. The Kenyan government has also admitted it could be losing nearly one-third of the national budget to corruption.

    Also, the society ,the social upbringing, the culture and a general greed also plays a critical role in influencing a timid mind. Therefore, high pay may be be a more effective tool to prevent corruption but it is not the best tool to eliminate corruption. Corruption can never be eliminated as there are always people who are greedy and will never be satisfied.
  • Shi Min Koh
    #7 Shi Min Koh on 07 Feb 12
     
    I agree with Dylan and Syafiq. High pay is NOT the best tool to eliminate corruption.
    Yes, i must admitt that high pay MIGHT reduce the incentive or need for corruption but other policies need to be put in place to reduce corruption. Personally i feel that one of the main reasons that Singapore is able to combat corruption is the The Prevention of Corruption Act.
    There are countries with similar policies but yet their government is still troubled by corruption. In Taiwan, the Anti- Corruption Agency Law is adopted but, the government still faces serious corruption issues. For example, the previous president of Taiwan, Chen Shui Bian and has been imprisoned for his activities of money laundering as well as fraud. After he stepped down from his position is no longer able to enjoy presidential immunity, he was immediately controlled and limited from leaving the country by Taiwan prosecutors. His successor, Tsai Ing-Wen who took part in the presidential election of 2012 as a candidate is also currently under investigations of making improper profits from Yu Chang case when she was in the government. (http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2011/12/22/2003521327 )
    Hence, the establishment of anti-corruption laws are not enough to police the government officials and combat corruption usefully.
    Having such policies are not enough. Other than putting the policy in place, the government needs to actively enforces such policies. For example, in Singapore, The Prevention of Corruption Act provides extensive powers to CPIB in the investigation of corruption, including:The power to investigate not just the suspect, but also the suspect's family or agents and to examine their financial and other records.
    The power to require the attendance of witnesses for interview.
    The power to investigate any other seizable offence which is disclosed in the course of a corruption investigation.
    Through the strict regulation and policing by the government, Singapore is able to have a social climate where corruption is frowned upon and rarely seen.
  • chris quah
    #8 chris quah on 07 Feb 12
     
    I agree Syafiq's viewpoint, having a high pay would definitely help in reducing corruption. However, there would be another issue as Dylan has brought up. By having such a high pay, we would definitely be attracting the cream of the crop, however should these people only be interested in the high pay and not to work for the citizens, they may not be the best lot for the job. Of course this is not to say that ministers should be doing voluntary work as some would suggest. they need to support themselves too.
  • moses tan
    #9 moses tan on 07 Feb 12
     
    Remember I've banned you all from asking questions in your writing? Dylan ah, please look at your first posting.

    Humanitarian is used wrongly above.

    Thanks for the good discussions above. You've achieved the aim to at least acknowledge that to simply attribute low corruption to high pay is simplistic. There is a host of other measures and policies -- legal or otherwise (e.g. culture as mentioned by Shi Min) -- that helps with keeping citizens, especially civil servants, clean.

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