The Rt Hon David Cameron MP 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA 31 May 2013 Dear Prime Minister, In light of your welcome focus on tax and transparency in the run up to the G8 summit, I was concerned to read reports that the UK Government is considering a review of the Bribery Act only two years after its implementation. It is important to recognise that there are some companies who are genuinely concerned about how to implement the law and would like clarification. Transparency International understands this point of view and believes it can be solved by better communication with small and mediumsized enterprises and some user-friendly practical guidance. However, since the Bribery Bill was introduced in 2009 there have been concerted efforts by a small but vocal minority to water it down or prevent it passing into law. They often use arguments about the level playing field or why certain types of bribery do not count. Ultimately, the Bribery Act is good for companies, as corruption creates market distortions, leads to insecure contracts and adds costs to contracts that erode and sometimes eliminate their profitability. Corruption-free economies are overwhelmingly in the interests of business – and that is what creates a truly level playing field. At Transparency International we see the real damage done by corruption to the lives of ordinary people. A company does not pay a bribe in a vacuum. It perpetuates a system that embeds the power of corrupt elites with devastating effects for economic development, effectively taxing the poor. The introduction of the Bribery Act was in response to international pressure for the UK to live up to its international obligations. Watering down the Act would create a clamour of international criticism. Despite the noise, the Bribery Act has not yet had a chance to work. The lack of prosecutions to date is no surprise – such cases often take several years to come to light. We have been encouraged by the UK Government’s efforts to accomplish important changes in the field of tax and transparency as part of its G8 activities. We ask that you continue in this vein and resist any pressure to dilute any of the Act’s key provisions. Yours sincerely,
Robert Barrington Executive Director, Transparency International UK Cc Rt Hon George Osborne MP, Dominic Martin REG OFFICE: CAN MEZZANINE - 32-36 LOMAN STREET - LONDON SE1 0EH, UK TEL: 020 7922 7906 FAX: 020 7922 7907 INFO@TRANSPARENCY.ORG.UK REGISTERED IN ENGLAND AND WALES, NUMBER 2903386 REGISTERED CHARITY, NUMBER 1112842
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