When corruption becomes
institutionalised - it also becomes predictable and is easily and
seamlessly incorporated into decision making processes of all
economic players and moral agents. They develop "by-passes" and
"techniques" which allow them to restore an efficient market
equilibrium. In a way, all-pervasive corruption is transparent and,
thus, a form of taxation.
This is the most common form of corruption exercised by low and mid-
ranking civil servants, party hacks and municipal politicians
throughout the CEE.
More than avarice, the motivating force here is sheer survival. The
acts of corruption are repetitive, structured and in strict
accordance with an un-written tariff and code of conduct.
(b) Acceleration Fees
Corrupt practices whose sole outcome is to ACCELERATE decision
making, the provision of goods and services or the divulging of
information. None of the outcomes or the utility functions are
altered. Only the speed of the economic dynamics is altered. This
kind of corruption is actually economically BENEFICIAL. It is a
limited transfer of wealth (or tax) which increases efficiency. This
is not to say that bureaucracies and venal officialdoms, over-
regulation and intrusive political involvement in the workings of
the marketplace are good (efficient) things.
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