May 16, 2005
A primer for paying bribes in Russia
The following comes from the "Readings" section in the May 2005 issue of Harper's:
From Russian Customs for Finns, a guidebook published in 2003 by the Finnish-Russian Chamber of Commerce, which withdrew it in January after complaints . According to a study sponsored by the World Bank, Russians spend approximately $36 billion annually in bribes, more than half of annual government spending. Translated from the Finnish by Yuni Kim.
Russia is the land of small gifts. Gifts are given not just to friends but also to people and groups one does business with. A Russian government official may feel insulted if he is not remembered in some way, even if business has been done with him several times. A secretary can obstruct or facilitate access to a business executive depending on whether or not one has built a good relationship with him or her. Even the little people should be regarded as humans, not just as small gears in a big machine. A big machine might stop if a tiny but important gear is not well oiled.
The first clue that an office employee or government official desires a bribe is a delay in getting things done. Questions are not met with concrete answers. Everything is "being looked into." Those who have worked extensively with government officials say that the desire for a bribe can be seen in the eyes.
An official who expects a bribe will lead the conversation down certain paths and give obvious hints. However, the foreigner unused to bribery procedures will not necessarily understand key phrases, such as the following:
Gestures are also used; for example, rubbing the thumb against the index finger.
There are no universally applicable instructions about what should be given as a bribe. Bribes range from packs of cigarettes and boxes of chocolate to "not so terribly small" sums to be transferred to Swiss bank accounts. An authority dealing with various licenses and inspections can point to small machines and gadgets and mention meaningfully that he or she too would have a use for them. The easiest bribery situation is when a government official asks for office supplies. The request might be for regular copy paper, which an office with a limited budget can't afford. The largest bribes are given in those sectors where Russia's big money lies. Requested service fees might include package tours to sunny climates or trips to Lapland.
Estimating the amount of the bribe is easier when the bribe recipient states his needs, as he often will do. He might request a certain sum of money, paid into a specific account. The charge even may be fixed, so that the amount can be learned in advance from other businessmen.
There is a certain amount of know-how involved in giving a bribe. The situation is usually such that one doesn't have an appropriate gift in one's suitcase right then and there. The procedure for handing over the bribe must then be agreed upon beforehand. If money is to be paid into an account, it should be agreed how it will be paid. If the recipient of the bribe asks for material goods, they can be delivered by a courier at a predetermined time—for example, the next day. If a situation arises on the street—for example, with policemen—the bribe should be given right away.
There is always the risk in giving a bribe that competitors or the mafia will find out about it and use this knowledge to their advantage. One should give a bribe delicately, absolutely without witnesses, preferably using a Russian go-between. Whatever the situation, it must never be done with a grimace, however annoying or morally repulsive you find it. You can'*, offend the recipient if you want the bribe to be effective. In some situations it may even be appropriate to give the bribe in an overdramatic manner, with speeches, as a gift to a "dear friend."
