Head of French Anti-corruption Agency: Corruption is a tax you pay twice

Corruption in society is like a tax that is paid twice, and low-level corruption costs both the state and its citizens, the head of the French Anti-Corruption Agency, Charles Duchaine, said on Tuesday.

"There are some countries where there is, in a way, a tradition of paying for things that are accessible for free, where there are intermediaries who ask for money to get a permit and who, when you draw the line, are surrounded by people who are indebted to them. This does not exist in France, but it could happen tomorrow and I believe that we need to think that such behaviours have no cultural basis. If it is cultural, we should change the culture. There are countries where you are told that this happens because the officials are not paid well enough. I do not say it is false, it might be. But there are also countries where officials are well paid and still have this kind of corruption. Let's change the mentalities (...) and in order to do that let's explain to the people how much this costs them. Because it costs them a lot. It may seem unimportant, but it is a lot," the French official told a news conference, agerpres reports.

Duchaine underscored the need to prevent corruption and to focus on education.

"I think at this level we have to rely a lot on prevention, because there is no repression against small corruption. It will never be a priority, so we have to rely on prevention and education. If you want, corruption is a tax you pay twice," he explained.

He also spoke about the importance of political will in the fight against corruption.

"Corruption is the crime of power, the crime of political power, the crime of economic power, it is the crime of the strong, and the fight against corruption must come from a very strong political will," the official said.

According to the head of the French Anti-Corruption Agency, a joint effort is needed in this area. Corruption, like pollution, is not a problem that everyone solves in their own corner," Duchaine said.

The director of the French Anti-Corruption Agency, Charles Duchaine, is paying a visit to Romania between September 27 and 29.