E-government can be a powerful tool for better service delivery and coordination, but has it been as deeply evaluated for the prevention of corruption? In this videoconference, held January 17, 2007, linking the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington, DC, with India, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Paraguay, panelists discussed ways that information and communication technologies can fight corruption and enhance good governance, including case studies from around the world. The session was introduced by Oleg Petrov, Facilitator of the World Bank’s e-Development Thematic Group, a joint knowledge-sharing initiative of the Global ICT Department and Infomation Solutions Group.
Philippe Dongier, Sector Manager for the World Bank, opened the panel with remarks that highlighted an example from Pakistan where the Bank assisted in prioritizing potential e-government services. Dongier noted that the potential reduction in corruption was identified by the client as one of the key criteria for the prioritization process.
Nancy Zucker Boswell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International USA, discussed the use of information technology to create transparency on the part of the Bank, borrowers, and civil society. She noted ways in which technology solutions can mitigate corruption risks in the banking and budget sectors, but also drew attention to the limits of information technology and caveats for its use.
Knut Liepold, Senior Procurement Specialist for the Bank, discussed the specific applications of e-government and its implications for the World Bank. He commented on the e-government triad, between business, government, and citizens, and presented a few cases from the Philippines, South Korea, and other countries. Liepold also noted how the Bank’s procurement systems help to prevent corruption through electronic safeguards.
Basheerhamad Shadrach, Asia Senior Program Officer for the International Development Research Center, gave a presentation on the effects of e-government and corruption using case studies from India. He discussed the “You” phenomenon for grassroots and citizen-level safeguards, and promoted the benefits of e-government for creating incentives and a low-corruption ecosystem. Shadrach also highlighted the future impact of telecenters for citizenry.
Danny Kaufmann, Director of Global Programs for the World Bank Institute, contrasted “e-government” and “e-governance” before opening the floor to questions. Audience members spoke about their country experiences, the worldwide cost of corruption, measurements for corruption reduction, and the role of markets. After comments and responses to the audience from the panelists, Kaufmann summarized the discussion and emphasized the importance of transparency in fighting corruption.
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