How corrupt is Oman becoming?

[Calkoon]

Wasta (or favoritism) is not the corruption I mean. I'm talking about having to pay a bribe to Government officials or company executives to win a Tender or get information to have an advantage over others.

I don't want your views or names, just your vote. If however none of the selection I've provided suits you, please add a short statement.

[watto]

If it had a selection of it is decreasing, I would have picked that.

[xzander]

voted!!

[Isar]

If it had a selection of it is decreasing, I would have picked that.

Maybe it only seems to be decreasing because the players are becoming more sophisticated in hiding it from public view?

[MrsK]

I'm not voting. I cant say whether there is or isnt. I have not noticed it (except for wasta) myself, so how can I say if it is there or not?

[hino]

To root out corruption from any system people first need to acknowledge it's presence. Then you need a watchdog.

[Rosalind]

Where are the usual members who like to join in with this type of discussion?

[~ck~]

its clear as the sky in everydays life

[omani bint]

Oman is no different from any other country, corruption occurs everywhere. What can we do about it?

[Isar]

Oman is no different from any other country, corruption occurs everywhere. What can we do about it?

Sorry, but I couldn't possibly agree with your statement. While I agree that corruption is happening everywhere, the way corruption and favoritism are celebrated seems to be very much embedded in Omani business culture.

It goes that far that people working for governmental bodies display an entitlement mentality and feel not a bit ashamed asking for personal favors while negotiating contracts, rarely even in the presence of other government employees, who also don't appear to be offended by this behavior. :grouphug:

And what do you do, when your client's personnel is asking for favors, for employment of family members, try to sell you products, or try to rent their equipment to you? Say no and risk having the business going to the competition? :nono:

I feel that in a lot of other countries corruption is not happening that openly.

[hino]

And what do you do, when your client's personnel is asking for favors, for employment of family members, try to sell you products, or try to rent their equipment to you? Say no and risk having the business going to the competition? .

Totally agree with you. What is needed is a watchdog so that people start fearing persecution.

[Supermacs]

I would like to meet the two persons who believe there is no corruption in Oman. They must live in an Ivory Tower.

[xzander]

I would like to meet the two persons who believe there is no corruption in Oman. They must live in an Ivory Tower.

you are absolutely right.

[Rosalind]

I can't vote, of course, not living in Oman. However, many posts in other threads have alleged corruption in Oman of a certain kind.

[modee]

Wasta (or favoritism) is not the corruption I mean. I'm talking about having to pay a bribe to Government officials or company executives to win a Tender or get information to have an advantage over others.


There have been changes to the tender board. I think things are going to change for the positive.

[hino]

That sounds good. When did these changes take place? Are the new members going to be affecting the awards for the new financial year?

[modee]

http://www.omannews.gov.om/ona/english/newsDetails.jsp?newsID=28164

[Supermacs]

One of the 'scams' I have come up against is in the in the tendering of small contracts from a Ministry. There are usually only 5 - 6 smaller companies bidding. A 'representative' from the Ministry will approach you and say for a percentage he can give you inside information that will assure you get the bid. You agree because you want to get the work. The only problem is, this same person has gone to all the other bidders with the same proposition. So no matter who wins the bid, the rep can go to that company and demand his percentage for the privileged information.

[Rosalind]

What an awful thing to do. Supermacs, do these people ever get exposed for this behaviour?

[hino]

It's very tough to expose them as usually the transaction will be in cash and it'll be a 'gift'.

[Supermacs]

Rosalind- exposing them will only lead to getting blacklisted at the Ministry. There is little a contractor can do alone. The best way would be for all the contractors to get together and say no, but of course you have some 'hungry' ones who will do anything to get the work. So the Ministry guys are pretty immune.

[omani bint]

Calkoon, Wazta & corruption ...Examples, bending the law(a form of corrupting) exchanging money,cars etc for favours(blackmail)using people in high places to "help you out" (abuse of authority) ,giving inside information that financially benefits others, hiding and changing facts etc etc its all a form of corruption.

[omar88]

corruption and wasta is everywhere in the world its not only oman.. there is lot of corruption scandals in uk these days , corruption is big problem of italy ,recently the biggest example of corruption and fraud is s"swine flu" and others example is "global economic crisis" cause of economist engineered crisis iceland and greece are bankrupt thanks to their corrupt bankers... In my opinion corruption is becoming global pandemic very difficult to fight against it!!

[omani bint]

omar88, I totally agree with everything you said, corruption is everywhere IN THE WORLD, and here in Oman, it is on a much smaller scale than a lot of countries, HOWEVER, it DOES happen here, but people prefer to class it as wasta. Regarding the swine flu scam, I warned Ministries here in Oman from the onset about this after much research. Even the World health organisation played a big part.

[dintigger]

i just stayed here and i've already seen it happen ...sigh .. but honestly it is not as bad as in Malaysia , i love malaysia but the police this is freaking corrupted, my friend was stopped once by a police man for "speeding" - he did 110 on a 10 lane - anyway they insisted that he was speeding and wanted to fine him unless want to be troubled less by paying on the spot , he plead say he have only $4 dollars in his wallet and show it to them ... in the end they took his $4 , some changes and half a pack of ciggies .. sigh
i am just glad that it is not as bad here...

[hino]

Yes that's true. It's more discreet.

[omani bint]

Just heard this on TV...."A good lawyer is someone who knows the law, a great lawyer is someone who knows the judge".

[omani bint]

here is an example of Wasta backfiring...My mum(she's 85yrs) had her life made a misery by her alcoholic landlord neighbour.She spent 13yrs (as did we all) trying to help him,we regularly took him to hospital after he had been beaten up, fed him,cleaned him up and his house,infact,we all felt sorry for him and tried very hard to help him.His family were ashamed of him so didn't really bother with him. Last year, he went totally OTT and threw dog shyte all over my mum and spat in her face because she wouldn't run his errands!!! then went to the mosque & urinated & vomitted inside!! someone called the police,who wanted to take him inside and we pleaded with them to send him to rehab & get him some help. His family, did not want the embaressment so using Wasta, had all the paperwork,witness statements,past records etc vanish. Nothing happened,my mum was eventually driven from her home of (13yrs)Last week he died(aged50yrs) from alcoholic poisoning..... I'm sure,if he had received the help,he so desperetley needed, he may still be alive today :(

[hino]

Is AA present in Oman?

[omani bint]

@hino. No not AA, but there are phsyciatric wards set aside for addicts, and other councelling groups. We found rehab centres overseas which would accept him, quite costly, BUT he came from a REALLY WEALTHY family, and had lots of property & money himself.

[omanchips]

Need to add one more option

-"Off the charts"

[shimmertje]

Omani Bint, that's the downside of trying to help people - they can end up taking it for granted and that can lead to all kinds of complications. I hope your mum is living happily someplace else.

Alcohol addiction is a powerful thing and rehab only works if the addict is willing to make an effort to break the addiction. It doesn't look like your landlord was ever willing to do that - so the idea that "he'd be fine if he got some help" might not have been realistic.

The Chinese have a saying that a good heart never gets good returns, ie good intentions/charity don't lead to good consequences. I see it as being realistic about what you can and cannot achieve. Help by all means, but don't expect the recipient to be grateful.

[marcocenti]

have you ever been in Italy?

[hino]

Well, of course there is corruption in Italy but they have a democracy and can at least try to address it.

[Unregistered]

democracy? in Italy? italy'prime minister owns almost all the media (tv, newspaper, ecc..), he is the sixth richest prime minister in the world (before him only Sultans and kings) trust me...in italy we don't have a real democracy...

[tomo]

Agree, just like most "or all" countries at least in this region.