杏吧原创

IN THE real world, comfortable solutions don鈥檛 always work. So respect should go to the suggestion that cutting the penalties for the biggest polluters would help Third World governments, because excessive penalties simply encourage offenders to bribe officials rather than pay fines or fix the problem (see 鈥淧olluters should pay less, not more鈥�).

It鈥檚 a similar story with development aid. Having seen so many projects fail, Western governments now see 鈥済ood governance鈥� as the first step to development, and are coming up with new views on how to deal with bribery and corruption. Often the answers aren鈥檛 鈥済et tough鈥� but to have fewer rules and more pay rises.

And bribes aren鈥檛 paid only to conceal illegal activity. Even more damaging to economic growth are the officials who demand payment for things to which people are legally entitled. Corrupt officials support more complex regulations as they provide more opportunity for bribery. This corruption quickly takes on a life of its own, as governments pay low salaries because officials are known to supplement them through bribe taking. Here too, anti-corruption squads aren鈥檛 the solution. Studies from the UN Development Programme show that fewer, simpler regulations, and pay levels high enough not to require supplementary incomes, are the way forward.

That is as true in developed economies as in the developing world. A recent study in New York City shows that as anti-corruption legislation became more complex and burdensome, so did the incentives to find ways around it. A simple life is best for all.