Business Integrity Country Agenda
Academic Coordinator: Antonio José Maristrello Porto
Researchers: Izabel Saenger Nuñez e Laura Meneghel dos Santos
Research Assistant: Mariana Vianna
Coordination: Geral Claudia Sanen e Guilherme Donegá
Supervision: Bruno Brandão
Shortly after investigations uncovered suspicious transactions between Petrobras and some contractors, began a debate in the courts, in the press and on social networks about which of the parties could be considered the "victim" of corruption. Was it the state-owned company, which paid more because a series of bids was rigged by a construction cartel? Or the companies, which supposedly only had a chance in the bids if they released tips to oil directors? In most cases so far, judicial decisions have considered neither party to be a victim. They have condemned both. After all, as an American song from the 1950s says, it takes two to tango. It should also be noted that this binary discussion (either Petrobras was a victim or the companies were victims) ignored the obvious victim of corruption: society.
The connection between public, private and civil society is even more intense in what is sometimes called "great corruption" or "postmodern corruption." The business sector plays an essential role in these crimes - which also means it has an irreplaceable role in combating wrongdoing, in its own interest: paying bribes to public officials, for example, increases operating costs and seriously jeopardizes the image of organizations. Without the participation of companies, the anti-corruption fight will never be sustainable.
Therefore, this publication aims to take a comprehensive look at corruption, specifically when it involves companies. To accomplish this, it focuses on three fields: the public sector, the business sector and civil society. Based on this tripod, this innovative approach allows for a deep and multifocused diagnosis, which analyzes dozens of indicators, compares what exists in Brazil with good international practices and brings recommendations for the weaknesses found in the evaluation. Following a methodology developed by Transparency International and applied in Brazil by Fundação Getúlio Vargas Direito Rio, a set of relevant indicators was selected for each item on the tripod and a score was assigned on a five-level scale: 0 (absence of assessed requirements), 25 (presence of few of the evaluated requirements), 50 (partial presence of requirements assessed), 75 (presence of majority) and 100 (all requirements were met). The complete results can be found in the document.
The publication Integrity and Business in Brazil (IEB) is part of a larger initiative, the Business Integrity Country Agenda (BICA), a project that Transparency International carries out in various parts of the world. During the first phase of the initiative in Brazil, a team from the Center for Research in Law and Economics (CPDE) of FGV Direito Rio held a detailed assessment of the business integrity environment in the country in a dialogue with Transparency International's members. In the second stage, the objective was to translate the findings and recommendations of the report into a broad operational reform agenda to be implemented through collective action. One step towards this is the elaboration of the largest set of anti-corruption proposals ever made in the world, which is being promoted by Transparency International in Brazil: the New Measures Against Corruption.
The perspective of Transparency International is that, without this multisectoral vision, proposals to improve the environment in which companies operate and the way they do it cannot be successful. An action that considers government, corporations, and civil society is more effective than isolated actions. A systemic problem such as corruption, with multiple causes and multiple nuances, must be addressed through varied and equally diverse approaches.
