Dysfunctional institutions

The breakdown of rule of law in the country has been accompanied by a persistent erosion of institutions. The high standards of competence and integrity, which were once the hallmark of the public services, have gone down and paralysed the organs of the state. This article analyses the factors that have led to this institutional decline.

The induction of people into the public services through the backdoor sows the seeds of rot. Relevant laws and rules framed thereunder prescribe the principle of competitive merit as the basis for entry into government jobs. But a sizable number of unqualified persons find their way into the highest services by using their manipulative influence or what has come to be known as the right sort of connections.

Those recruited on merit trail behind their colleagues who secured jobs on ascriptive basis as the big push that got them into service ensures that they ride the crest of key jobs throughout their careers. In an environment dominated by nepotism and mafiosi of mutual corruption and protection, there is hardly any space for honest and competent functionaries who remain consigned to the side-lines. That is what makes the public services rotten not to but from the core.

The politicisation of the organs of the state has also taken a heavy toll. It has undermined the hierarchic structure of public-sector organisations, eroded supervisory control and authority, and bred indiscipline and inefficiency among the rank and file of functionaries. There is a loss of moral grit and little resistance to unlawful pressures, particularly those emanating from effective centres of power.

The culture of servitude – compliance of instructions handed down by superiors without judging their tenability in law and propriety from the viewpoint of public interest – has permeated from top to bottom. The writ of the government has weakened due to loss of institutional capacity. This has not only undermined the ability of the government to implement its policies but also lowered its prestige and credibility in the eyes of the people.

Another contributory cause of institutional atrophy is the prevalence of wide-spread corruption. Corruption, like cancer, has spread throughout the body politic and pervaded all sections of society. Corruption is not merely characterised by individual acts and aberrations but has become systemic, institutionalised and deeply entrenched.

The adverse impact of corruption on society is well understood. Corruption is the bane of society; it undermines the very basis upon which the social order rests. Corruption negates the most fundamental norms and values of honesty, integrity and fairness. Corruption is symptomatic of a deeper moral crisis in society where the traditional norms of moral propriety and religious certitude are becoming weaker in the wake of materialism and consumerism. The moral fibre of society has deteriorated to such an extent that the distinction between right and wrong has become blurred; fair has become foul and foul fair.

The malaise of corruption is rooted in avarice, mistrust and suspicion on the one hand and stems from inequality, injustice and asymmetry of power on the other. Wide-scale corruption of an unprecedented nature is causing alienation among groups that are asserting their own power and challenging the authority of the government. It instils a sense of despair and insecurity among people and detracts from the pursuit of common and constructive objectives.

Corruption also impacts adversely upon development. On the one hand, scarce public resources are siphoned off through corrupt practices while on the other, private investment is discouraged in an environment that lacks transparency. As such, corruption retards development, poverty alleviation and public service delivery. As corruption is clearly a form of exploitation, it hurts the weak and vulnerable segments of society more severely

The prevalence of corruption is also attributable to weak mechanisms of accountability. There are a plethora of institutions of accountability in the country, yet the process of accountability has not been effective in weeding out corruption. As corruption has become institutionalised and strong mafias are in place, it has become not only difficult but also well-nigh impossible to punish the culprits. The use of accountability mechanisms as instruments of political witch-hunting has also undermined the credibility of state action against corruption.

Another major cause of institutional deterioration is an utter lack of transparency in government decision-making processes. Not only is the public kept in the dark about bureaucratic procedures but various government departments also keep information related to each under the veil of secrecy, which should otherwise be shared in the interest of over-all policy formulation.

Public functionaries keep a lid on information not so much as part of a culture of secrecy which prevails in government offices, but as a devious device to exploit their ignorant and gullible clientele – the general public. Dissemination of information about bureaucratic procedures is resisted as it would obviously undermine the power and authority of the functionaries who exploit it for ulterior motives.

The weakening of the state has very serious implications in the context of global trends towards the development of world markets, free flow of trade, lowering of tariff and exchange barriers, international capital movement and revolutionary changes in information technology. A state that is not able to respond to these fast-moving changes in an increasingly competitive international environment runs a great risk to its sovereignty.

To sum up, the crisis of governance is marked by the failure to strengthen rule of law, to promote the culture of tolerance and to realise the needs of the people. Instead of pursuing these objectives, governance in this country has become associated with widespread corruption, disregard of rules and merit, horse trading and official patronage. As a result, there has been a gross mismanagement of national resources; institutions have eroded; and the culture of intolerance and victimisation has flourished.

The author is a former cabinet secretary.

Email: samisaeed7@hotmail.com