Increasing corruption in Norway: A worrying development

Although Norway still scores relatively well compared to many other countries, the trend is negative, reports Aftenposten.

Trust in politicians under pressure

Guro Slettemark, Secretary General of Transparency International Norway, points to several factors that could explain the decline. In recent years, there have been several cases that have shaken trust in Norwegian politicians. Cases such as conflicts of impartiality, misuse of commuter housing, fraud with travel expenses and unfortunate stock transactions have weakened the population's trust in political institutions.

Another challenge is the lack of a lobby register, which makes it more difficult to monitor which interests influence political decisions. Transparency International Norway has repeatedly suggested that Norway introduce such a register to ensure transparency in political processes.

Corruption in practice – multiple convictions

Despite Norway's strong institutions, there have been several serious corruption cases in recent years. Among other things, Norwegian courts have convicted individuals in cases involving bribery, misuse of public funds, and private actors who have exploited their positions for financial gain. Examples include:

• Three regional directors of a private BPA health trust who received financial benefits from a partner.
• A person in Rogaland who attempted to bribe police officers.
• A construction manager who was involved in a corruption case with an architect.
• An engineer at Veritas who received money from a Russian intelligence officer.
• A shift manager in the grocery industry who demanded payment from temporary workers for employment.
• The extensive Boligbygg case in Oslo, where public funds were misused by overpricing housing.

These examples show that corruption is not a foreign phenomenon in Norway, and that there are significant challenges associated with maintaining integrity in the public sector.

Need for action

According to Transparency International Norge, it is now crucial that the authorities take action to reverse the trend. Among the measures proposed are:

• Increased transparency around lobbying.
• A national anti-corruption strategy.
• Stricter requirements for impartiality and control mechanisms for public employees and politicians.

The developments in Norway are part of a larger trend. Sweden has also experienced a marked decline in the corruption index over the past decade. Globally, two out of three countries score below 50 on the index, indicating that corruption is a widespread problem in many countries.

How is corruption measured?

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) rates 180 countries on a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 means that corruption is perceived as non-existent, while 0 means widespread corruption. The CPI is based on 13 data sources from 12 different institutions and is based on experts' and business people's perceptions of corruption in the public sector.

How can your business fight corruption?

The first thing to do is to conduct a risk assessment to see where and how something like this could occur. In addition, you should have established guidelines and routines in place that raise awareness among all employees about the issue.

An important tool in the routines that all businesses should have is to do background check of employees who are in vulnerable positions, in roles with great responsibility for funds or materials, or of positions that have great room for maneuver.

This can reveal any history of past dishonest behavior, or something as simple as the candidate's business interests. This avoids conflicts of interest and places the candidate in situations where they may be pressured or influenced.

Another important instrument is to have a good whistleblowing channel so that employees and customers can submit reports of concern to the business if they suspect that illegal activities or unethical behavior have taken place.