DHAKA, April 20: Corrupt officials and employees in Bangladesh take an estimated 67.96 billion takas in bribe every year for 25 types of services in nine major sectors, according to a household survey conducted by the local chapter of Berlin-based Transparency International.

The report — “Corruption in Bangladesh: A Household Survey” –- was released in Dhaka on Wednesday. It claims that on an average each citizen has to pay Tk485 every year in bribe.

The survey covered 3,000 households of 55 districts (2,100 households in villages and 900 in towns)between 10 September and 24 October 2004.

The most corruption-prone sectors are the lower courts, land and land-related departments, police stations, arbitration and relief of local governments, bank, power, tax department, health, pension and education, says the TIB report.

The bribe taken by officials and employees of the lower courts amounts to Tk20.420 billion every year.

In the lower courts, 66 per cent of the plaintiffs said they had to pay Tk6,135 on an average while 65 per cent of the accused had to pay Tk7,728 to court officials, employees, judges and public prosecutors.

Officials and employees in land-related offices took Tk14.545.4 billion for registration, Tk1.368.1 billion for land mutation, Tk249.0 million during land survey and Tk3.696.7 billion as bribe for possession of government land.

Some 97 per cent of the households that came under the survey said they had to pay Tk3,713 more than the fee required.

About 52 per cent showed the price of land 41 per cent less than the actual price for tax evasion with the help of land registration officials and employees.

Corrupt policemen take Tk11.343 billion from respondents in different cases, Tk2.271.3 billion to register first information reports and Tk766.1 million for general diaries and Tk930 million for police clearance.

Some 92 per cent households said they had to pay Tk2,430 to file an FIR, 91 per cent households said they had to pay Tk939 to file a general diary, 80 per cent households said they had to pay Tk881 for taking police clearance and accused in 71 per cent cases had to pay police stations Tk5,718 on an average.

Citizens pay public representatives of the local government Tk4,130 million for arbitration, Tk391.8 million while giving holding tax and Tk68,000 for relief materials.

Fifty eight per cent households alleged that they had to pay bribe for arbitration in the local government.

Nine per cent households who provided holding tax had to pay bribe to the concerned offices.

Bank officials and staff take Tk2464.4 million for granting loan. On an average, corrupt private bank officials take Tk12,262 to grant a Loan whereas public bank officials Tk1,764.

Officials and employees of the electricity supply offices take Tk1041.6 million for electricity connections and Tk652.2 million for reducing power bills.

Some 70.43 per cent households said they had to pay bribe to get power Connections.

The income tax payers pay Tk1.677.3 billion to officials and staff of the income tax offices. The survey found that 49 per cent households pay bribe to the income tax offices.

Patients pay Tk475.0 million to public hospital staff for diagnostic tests and X-ray, Tk212.0 million for surgery, Tk157.9 million outdoor treatment and Tk302.3 million for indoor treatment.

In government hospitals, 20 per cent households have to pay bribe in the indoor, 29.4 per cent in the outdoor, 37 per cent for operation, 57 per cent for X-ray and 60 per cent households have to pay bribe for diagnosis like blood test and other tests.

In the education sector, the TIB found that the concerned officers and employees take Tk606.5 million from the primary and secondary education sectors.

The guardians of forty per cent primary students pay Tk209 on an average for admission. A primary student pays Tk58 as subscription or fee although primary education is free.

Primary and secondary level students pay about Tk60 million to receive their stipend money. About 38 per cent secondary students and five per cent primary students alleged they got less money than the actual stipend granted to them.

The officials and employees of the pension offices concerned take Tk820 million from people as bribe.