Customs Enforcement, The Problem Of Corruption

Since 1998,a series of corruption cases in Customs have been investigated and released to the media in China. Corruption in Customs caused great losses in Customs duties and very bad reputation of the government. It also led to reorganizing of the management team of the Customs General Administration. Corruption, in one form or another, has always existed and is not confined to any particular countries or any social, economic or political spheres. There are several specific reasons and explanations for corruption cases of Chinese Customs. Pressures and intervention from the local governments may be one of the main reasons. And the companies with the background of the army or the security agency may also prevent the Customs from performing its duties. And the third reason may come from the smugglers and the smuggling groups who are willing to take out 30% of the smuggling profit as bribery for the Customs officials and other people concerned. Above all, the fundamental reason for corruption problems in Chinese Customs should be the mistakes of the management team. Although there isn抰 a complete way to eliminate corruption, reforming and modernizing the whole system of Chinese Customs should be very helpful for preventing and controlling corruption. As World Customs Organization suggests, transparency, minimum administrative regulation, automation, staff relocation, auditing, adequate remuneration, and fostering an open relationship with the clients should ensure the incidence and impact of corruption is reduced.