The central and state governments in the country are emphasizing on ease of doing business and accelerating private sector investment. At the same time, the corrupt government machinery is using its full capacity to illegally extract money from companies and entrepreneurs, due to which efforts like single window clearance and ease of doing business to promote entrepreneurship in the country are being sabotaged.

A survey has revealed that about 66 percent of companies have to pay bribes to avail government services. Companies claimed that they have paid bribes for supplier qualifications, quotations, getting orders and payments. According to the report of Local Circles, 75 percent of the total bribes were given to officials of government departments like legal, weights and measures, food, medicine, health etc.

54 percent people were forced

Many businesses have also reported paying bribes to GST officials, pollution department, municipal corporation and electricity department. Of the companies that paid bribes in the last 12 months, 54 per cent were forced to do so, while 46 per cent paid to get work completed on time. Such bribes are tantamount to extortion.

While working with government agencies, the work of companies is deliberately stalled and files are approved only after taking bribes. Installing CCTV cameras has not reduced corruption in government offices. The survey claims that bribes are given behind closed doors, away from CCTVs.

Ways of taking bribe are open in government departments

The report says that although initiatives like government e-procurement marketplace are good steps to reduce corruption, the avenues for taking bribes in government departments are still open. On the issue of corruption, Akash Sharma, partner, Deloitte India, says that many companies feel that by paying a little money in matters of policies and procedures, they will escape strict scrutiny and penalty on the front of rules and laws. The survey includes responses from 18,000 businessmen. The survey was conducted in 159 districts of the country.

Percentage of businessmen paying bribes to government departments

• Department of Law, Weights and Measures, Food, Drugs and Health – 75
• Labor and PF Department – ​​69
• Property and Land Registration - 68
• GST Officer – 62
• Pollution Department – ​​59
• Municipal Corporation – 57
• Income Tax – 47
• Fire fighting - 45
• Police – 43
• Transport – 42
• Electricity – 41
• Excise – 38