The private sector should, among others, carry out customised anti-corruption awareness campaigns in activity sectors and business areas most vulnerable to corruption such as procurement and recruitment.

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This is among the sector-specific recommendations listed in the 40th Rwanda Bribery Index (RBI) released on Thursday, December 7, especially considering that the private sector has been on top of the list of institutions most prone to corruption since 2021.

The 44-page report sheds light on the status of perceived corruption in Rwanda, identifying institutions where the likelihood of bribery is highest. The overall objective of the study, as noted, was to establish the experiences and perceptions of Rwandans with regards to service delivery and corruption in the country.

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The other recommendation is that the private sector should establish a specialised mechanism – for instance a department or a directorate – in charge of monitoring and fighting corruption.

The private sector, Rwanda Utility Regulatory Authority (RURA), and Rwanda National Police (RNP), are the leaders in bribery incidents, according to the 40th Rwanda Bribery Index.

Construction permits

Issuing construction permits is also on top of services that are most prone to corruption in local government. Here, the recommendations include the establishment of strong monitoring and oversight measures that provide information needed to hold concerned civil servants to account.

Also recommended is staff rotation in jobs that are vulnerable to corruption such as construction. This, as noted, is expected to assist in preventing corrupt relationships from forming and in disrupting established corrupt relationships.

Conducted with a sample size of 2,317 respondents, the report indicates that 78 percent of participants did not encounter bribery incidents. In contrast, 19.5 percent were asked to pay a bribe, and 2.5 percent willingly offered bribes in the past 12 months.

Regarding the likelihood of bribery in institutions that provided services in 2023, the private sector leads the list with 15.60 percent. The most affected services include recruitment, procurement, and construction. RURA follows closely with 13.80 percent, showing a significant increase from 6 percent the previous year.

One notable finding in RURA is the lack of transparency in issuing transport licenses, creating opportunities for corruption. The competition for authorization for transport service operations appears limited to favored companies, contributing to corrupt practices.

Albert Rwego Kavatiri, a Programme Manager at Transparency International - Rwanda, noted that RURA is ranked second in terms of the likelihood of demand of bribes in the last 12 months which calls for deep analysis as to examine what is behind the increase of corruption observed in this particular public institution during the year under review.

As regards the significant increase of levels of corruption in issuing and renewing licenses and authorizations for transport service operations in RURA, the report recommends the promotion of transparency in human resources management. As noted, the rules and procedures in staff recruitment, and promotion, should be observed.

The other recommendation is that there should be sustained efforts to "prosecute corrupt actions of those who engage in corrupt practices.”

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The third institution on the list is RNP, with 11.2 percent, particularly in services related to traffic and road safety, testing and licensing, and automobile inspection.

Other institutions on the list include local government entities, with 8.70 percent, secondary schools, 8.60 percent, Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), with 8.30 percent, and primary schools with 7.40 percent.

Additionally, Rwanda Energy Group (REG) registerd 5.80 percent, prosecutors 5.70 percent, Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) 5.20 percent, judges 5.02 percent, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Programme (TVET) 4.30 percent, Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) 3.50 percent, Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) 1.60 percent, banks 1.20 percent, universities 0.60 percent, and medical services 0.40 percent.

As reported, illegal construction prohibited by the master plan leads the list of services with the highest bribery payment in the year, accounting for 52.40 percent, compared to 71.40 percent the previous year.

The second service is obtaining a construction permit, with 34.90 percent (down from 65.80 percent the previous year), followed by the school feeding programme in the 12-year basic education program at 25 percent, and obtaining a driving license illegally at 19.40 percent.

Due to increased levels of corruption in school feeding programme in 12 YBE programme, the report recommends speeding up the process of optimizing e-service delivery to minimize physical contacts in procurement process in entities such as primary and secondary schools.

Establishing tender committees that include representatives of students and parents and ensuring that they are involved and participate in all procurement phases, is another recommendation.

Other services with bribery percentages include recruitment in the private sector with 17.40 percent, obtaining permission or winning a tender to provide public transport services and securing a working location with 16.60 percent each, admission in TVET with 16.60 percent, and expediting a court case with 14.80 percent.

Additionally, the report indicates that at least 94.2 percent of respondents did not report corruption cases encountered an increase from 87.5 percent the previous year. The main reasons cited were that 32 percent did not think they should report, while 21.3 percent feared self-incrimination.