Corruption and bribery are complex transactions that involve both someone who offers a benefit, often a bribe, and someone who accepts, as well as a variety of specialists or intermediaries to facilitate the transaction. By perpetuating the ‘abuse of entrusted power for private gain’ – Transparency International’s (TI) definition of corruption – both the bribe payer and bribe taker cause damage in a number of ways. Ultimately, their corrupt dealings create extreme inequity – both in markets and in societies.

Much blame has been apportioned over the years to the bribe takers – those who pocket the wealth and take advantage of the influence and authority that corruption affords them. And, indeed, bribe takers must be exposed, prosecuted and appropriately punished. The systems that breed this behaviour require holistic reform, so that bribes are not demanded in the first place.

TI believes it is also critical to shine a spotlight on the bribe payers – whose supply of bribes, irregular payments and other forms of influence-buying fuel the machinery of corruption. It has been part of TI’s mission for the past 15 years to curb the so-called supply side of corruption, both domestically and across borders.

This report presents highlights of a brand new survey commissioned by TI, the 2008 Bribe Payers Survey.1 It looks in detail at the sources of corruption in the international marketplace, both in terms of where the bribes are paid and by which businesses. Above all, the Bribe Payers Survey illustrates how the supply of corruption is viewed by a global selection of senior business executives, who understand the markets and market pressures in their own countries, some of which drive corruption. Based on the results of the 2008 Bribe Payers Survey, TI has produced an index and two sectoral rankings:

• The 2008 Bribe Payers Index (BPI): a ranking of 22 of the world’s most economically influential countries according to the likelihood of their firms to bribe abroad.
• Two new rankings of industrial sectors: one that ranks sectors according to the likelihood of firms in that sector to bribe public officials; and another that ranks sectors according to the degree to which their firms use contributions to politicians and political parties to achieve undue influence on government policies, laws or regulations – a phenomenon often referred to as state capture.

The findings of the 2008 BPI and the sectoral rankings show that many of the world’s most influential economies, and some key industrial sectors, continue to be viewed as greatly compromised by international corruption. As such, TI calls on governments and the private sector to renew their efforts to curb the supply side of corruption. It is only with concerted and continued effort that we can stop the abuse of power for private gain and mitigate the devastating impact it has on lives and livelihoods the world over.