04/05/11 – In a recent press conference, Coparmex or Confederación Patronal de la República Mexicana (Mexican Employers’ Association) revealed new statistics regarding acts of corruption. The President of Comparmex, Gerardo Gutiérrez Candiani, affirmed that recent studies show companies in Mexico spend 10% of their revenue on acts involving corruption. Additionally, more than 44% of companies make unofficial payments to public servants at the local, national, and federal levels. Gutiérrez stated that as a result, 7 out of 10 companies have experienced a reduction in their competitiveness due to these factors. He also reminded the public how Mexico ranked 98th out of 178 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index for 2010, which is a drop from their 2009 score in which they ranked 89th. Studies from the private sector have calculated that the costs of corruption are equivalent to 9% of their gross domestic product. Families that have little resources are the ones most affected by these illicit actions.
Gutiérrez urged the public to dig deeper and explore the problem of organized crime, saying that changes should be made in order to strengthen security within Mexico. He suggested that now is the time to begin a great “national crusade against corruption and impunity.”
Sources:
González, Lilia. “Sector patronal urge a combatir la corrupción.” El Economista. 04 April, 2011.
