Should Pakistan make corruption legal?

[srh]

Corruption is a bit too rampant in Pakistan and looks like it is ingrained in the society. All the political leaders who have been caught in corruption cases still enjoy mass support among public. They dont feel any shame in it and nobody has apologized for corruption and feels like public also dont really care about corruption. Media dont ask them difficult questions about their corruption and instead support them one way or another. Public still give them respect even though they have stolen their money.

If corruption is not really a concern for Pakistan then why not make it legal? In this case government can tax each corrupt transaction at say 15%. Will increase government revenues.

The current anti-corruption department will need to have a change in name and job responsibilities. Call it fair-corruption department and its job responsibility is to make sure that each corrupt transaction has been reported in honesty and that tax has been paid on it.

What do you guys think?

 

[JaDed]

Lobbying would be defined as corruption in south asia but seems legal in North America.

Is this a sarcastic take on masses supporting PML and PPP?

 

[Syed1]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] right now

 

[Azzurri]

Just go away man, Find some better thing to do.

 

[rhony]

Corruption is a bit too rampant in Pakistan and looks like it is ingrained in the society. All the political leaders who have been caught in corruption cases still enjoy mass support among public. They dont feel any shame in it and nobody has apologized for corruption and feels like public also dont really care about corruption. Media dont ask them difficult questions about their corruption and instead support them one way or another. Public still give them respect even though they have stolen their money.

If corruption is not really a concern for Pakistan then why not make it legal? In this case government can tax each corrupt transaction at say 15%. Will increase government revenues.

The current anti-corruption department will need to have a change in name and job responsibilities. Call it fair-corruption department and its job responsibility is to make sure that each corrupt transaction has been reported in honesty and that tax has been paid on it.

What do you guys think?

Tax at 50 percent and the money shouldn't move out of the country. That should be the condition. When a societal ill becomes uncontrollable, there are instances of legalization like prostitution or gambling. In that part of the world, it is expected that politicians are corrupt. so people don't care much. Alternative is crack down like Chinese did with death penalties.

 

[Azzurri]

Tax at 50 percent and the money shouldn't move out of the country. That should be the condition. When a societal ill becomes uncontrollable, there are instances of legalization like prostitution or gambling. In that part of the world, it is expected that politicians are corrupt. so people don't care much. Alternative is crack down like Chinese did with death penalties.

So when are you implementing it in Shinning India

 

[IMMY69]

Corruption is a bit too rampant in Pakistan and looks like it is ingrained in the society. All the political leaders who have been caught in corruption cases still enjoy mass support among public. They dont feel any shame in it and nobody has apologized for corruption and feels like public also dont really care about corruption. Media dont ask them difficult questions about their corruption and instead support them one way or another. Public still give them respect even though they have stolen their money.

If corruption is not really a concern for Pakistan then why not make it legal? In this case government can tax each corrupt transaction at say 15%. Will increase government revenues.

The current anti-corruption department will need to have a change in name and job responsibilities. Call it fair-corruption department and its job responsibility is to make sure that each corrupt transaction has been reported in honesty and that tax has been paid on it.

What do you guys think?

easy answer to this.

How is a poor person, with hardly a roof over his head, no money in his pocket going to get one over a person who has a house, a driver, kids in school and a bank account?

I hope this explains the "Corruption" theory for you and how ludicrous it is.

 

[rhony]

So when are you implementing it in Shinning India

That part of the world means India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, BD. Not sure you are aware but India and even Pakistan implemented a version of this briefly. Report black money and pay hefty taxes to legitimize it.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1SK1W6

 

[Syed1]

That part of the world means India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, BD. Not sure you are aware but India and even Pakistan implemented a version of this briefly. Report black money and pay hefty taxes to legitimize it.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1SK1W6

What you are saying is called amnesty scheme, but what OP is suggesting is making corruption legal and not a crime in a court of law. I do not know about the Indian amnesty scheme, but in the Pakistani one politicians or their relatives could not declare their ill-gotten wealth and make it white. It was only for common citizens.

 

[srh]

Lobbying would be defined as corruption in south asia but seems legal in North America.

Is this a sarcastic take on masses supporting PML and PPP?

no sarcasm; I feel like most Pakistanis dont really care about corruption; moreover the 3rd party PTI also has number of corrupts who are either not doing it or hiding it currently only because Imran Khan initiative against corruption; they will be back once Imran Khan is gone

 

[rhony]

What you are saying is called amnesty scheme, but what OP is suggesting is making corruption legal and not a crime in a court of law. I do not know about the Indian amnesty scheme, but in the Pakistani one politicians or their relatives could not declare their ill-gotten wealth and make it white. It was only for common citizens.

Yes I understand what Op's saying. Amnesty schemes are way too late in the process. The money has already moved out of the country most of the times. There has to be a way to report "any" income and pay taxes. Corruption is so deeply rooted in the society. Will arresting a few political leaders thwart it? Either go gung ho and implement laws as in China or Singapore or make it legitimate and open. Everybody should come into it's ambit with no exceptions.

 

[IMMY69]

Yes I understand what Op's saying. Amnesty schemes are way too late in the process. The money has already moved out of the country most of the times. There has to be a way to report "any" income and pay taxes. Corruption is so deeply rooted in the society. Will arresting a few political leaders thwart it? Either go gung ho and implement laws as in China or Singapore or make it legitimate and open. Everybody should come into it's ambit with no exceptions.

It is corruption that has caused such a deep divide in society, the rich living like Royalty and the poor unable to escape from poverty.

The only way the poor can rise is if mass corruption is eliminated from society.

 

[rhony]

It is corruption that has caused such a deep divide in society, the rich living like Royalty and the poor unable to escape from poverty.

The only way the poor can rise is if mass corruption is eliminated from society.

Ideally yes but not possible as the power can't be shared between all the people. Only a few will be powerful and power breeds corruption. When these politicians steal hundreds of millions of dollars and get convicted for stealing a couple of million dollars, what's the point? I remember a case in India where a politician apparently stole close to 10 billion dollars but was nailed for just a few million and yet he is still the chief minister of a state. There was the 3G scam and others. The only way to stop this to a certain extent is to make everything transparent.

 

[Red Devil]

Yeah because corrupt people will all of a sudden start paying taxes.

 

[RickyG]

What did I just read...?

And then the government gets the 15% tax. Nawaz Sharif says okay I am going to take 100% of that government revenue and you can tax another 15%. So what you have left is 2.25%. Until someone decides to take 85% of that.

Also the way corruption works is like this:

Company A and Company B bid for a government project. Company A asks for more money for the project than company B. Let's a $1m vs $900,000.

Company A offers Nawaz Sharif a kick back of 10% for the government contract. Nawaz Sharif then gives the contract to an incompetent company like company A so he receives a kick back.

So while the government over pays by a $100k for this contract. They receive $15k from the tax. So how does the government benefit?

Another scenario:

IMF offers Pakistan a loan of $100m. Nawaz Sharif entitles himself to a 10% cut and takes $10m. Returns $1.5m to the government as part of the tax.

So the Pakistan government took a $100m loan that they will have to pay interest on and return. Meanwhile Nawaz Sharif just made an easy $8.5m by taking a loan out under Pakistan's name.

There are plenty of other hypothetical situations where I can show you this would not work.

Even at lower levels, you're empowering gangs and well-off criminals because they can now legally buy cops with a 15% sales tax.

Have people become stupider?

 

[IMMY69]

Ideally yes but not possible as the power can't be shared between all the people. Only a few will be powerful and power breeds corruption. When these politicians steal hundreds of millions of dollars and get convicted for stealing a couple of million dollars, what's the point? I remember a case in India where a politician apparently stole close to 10 billion dollars but was nailed for just a few million and yet he is still the chief minister of a state. There was the 3G scam and others. The only way to stop this to a certain extent is to make everything transparent.

What is unique to Pakistan is that it was ruled by Mafia families and this had a trickle down affect in to society.

The solution is actually quiet simple, and it looks like the present Government is doing well on this count, cut the heads of the snakes and make them an example to the rest of society.

Doesn't matter if you only pin them for a couple of million, the important thing is you do get them for something. Al Capone being an example.

Keep in mind though, this is the mafia we're talking about, not just simple corruption.

 

[rhony]

What is unique to Pakistan is that it was ruled by Mafia families and this had a trickle down affect in to society.

The solution is actually quiet simple, and it looks like the present Government is doing well on this count, cut the heads of the snakes and make them an example to the rest of society.

Doesn't matter if you only pin them for a couple of million, the important thing is you do get them for something. Al Capone being an example.

Keep in mind though, this is the mafia we're talking about, not just simple corruption.

See the assumption is that the beneficiaries are just these heads. Another assumption is that only these heads are capable. There are millions of people affected by this at various levels. Poor wages, lack of prospects mean people in government all the way to a regular party worker are beneficiaries. The fact that it is acceptable makes it difficult to eliminate it. One can compare these to mafias as they are top heavy but the sheer number of people in these gangs mean there is always somebody to take the place of the head. Compare it to drug empires instead. They nail El Chapo and somebody else will keep the empire going.

 

[IMMY69]

See the assumption is that the beneficiaries are just these heads. Another assumption is that only these heads are capable. There are millions of people affected by this at various levels. Poor wages, lack of prospects mean people in government all the way to a regular party worker are beneficiaries. The fact that it is acceptable makes it difficult to eliminate it. One can compare these to mafias as they are top heavy but the sheer number of people in these gangs mean there is always somebody to take the place of the head. Compare it to drug empires instead. They nail El Chapo and somebody else will keep the empire going.

Its not going to be easy. There is a long road ahead for Pakistan but we're on the right path.
By going after corruption today and strengthening the institutions we are laying the foundations for the future.

Of course corruption will still exist but the by doing his we will mobile the poor.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

is today the first of april? The worst thread I have ever seen on Pak Passion.

 

[sjahmed23]

Yeah I agree let there be anarchy and see where that gets us because cleaning our own mess and getting our act together is too difficult for our super religious and super conservative society.