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Singapore - Corruption

Singapore typically ranks as the least corrupt country in Asia and one of the least corrupt in the world. Singapore has, and actively enforces, strong anti-corruption laws. The Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act provide the legal basis for government action by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, an anti-corruption agency that reports to the Prime Minister. These laws cover acts of corruption both within Singapore as well as those committed by Singaporeans abroad. When cases of corruption are uncovered, whether in the public or private sector, the government deals with them firmly, swiftly and publicly, as they do in cases where public officials are involved in dishonest and illegal behavior.

Since corruption was a way of life in Singapore in 1959, the newly elected leaders realized the need to curb the serious problem of corruption in the Singapore Civil Service to enable it to contribute to national development by promoting meritocracy and improving the use of human resources.

Singapore is not a party to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery, but the Prevention of Corruption Act makes it a crime for a Singapore citizen to bribe a foreign official or any other person, whether within or outside Singapore.

In the past the government actively prosecuted officials involved in corruption. The salaries of senior officials are public information, and political parties must report donations; however, there is no financial disclosure law. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Board, which answers directly to the prime minister, is responsible for investigating and prosecuting corruption by government officials.

There are six lessons that other countries can learn from the experiences of Singapore in curbing corruption. One of the lessons is that the political leadership must be sincerely committed to the eradication of corruption. The second lesson is that it is futile to combat corruption by using incremental or piecemeal measures. A third lesson is that the anticorruption agency must itself be incorruptible. Also, the anticorruption agency must be removed from the police as soon as possible, since its location within the police prevents it from functioning effectively, especially when the police are corrupt. The fifth lesson is that it is necessary to reduce the opportunities for corruption, especially in those governmental departments that are usually vulnerable to corrupt activities. Lesson number six is that it is important to reduce the incentive for corruption among civil servants and political leaders by ensuring that their salaries and fringe benefits are competitive with the private sector.