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Preface
Although many would argue that opaque decision making, control over
the flows of information, and a lack of open debate have constrained
development and governance processes in Ethiopia for decades, the situation
with regard to corruption is different in many respects. Corruption
is an area of governance where a significant number of government stakeholders
would like to see a detailed story told; there is a greater openness
to the assessment of corruption than to the assessment of other areas of
governance. Moreover, it is an area of governance where the government
of Ethiopia is, potentially, on strong ground.
Unraveling the story of corruption in Ethiopia is complex and presents
a different picture at every turn. On the one hand, there is a
general sense that the story is somehow different, that—at least in
some key areas—corruption is just not experienced at the same levels
as in other African and low-income countries. Many private stakeholders
argue that corruption in Ethiopia is comparatively controlled;
first-hand experience is that it is much lower than elsewhere. This is
not to say that corruption is not increasing or emerging as an issue for
serious consideration, but when international observers apply a direct
cross-country comparison, Ethiopia tends to come out well. On the
other hand, many domestic stakeholders argue that corruption is
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