Corruption in Colombia's public sector is pervasive and costs the private sector substantial sums of money each year. Yet the private sector has traditionally been reluctant to challenge these practices for fear of retribution.
The PROBIDAD program was created in late 1999 to fight corruption in the public sector and to change the culture of business. Initial funding for the program came from CIPE and Colombia's Corona Foundation. The program was later joined by the Colombia Center for Social Responsibility and the Presidential Program for the Fight Against Corruption, Colombia's chapter of Transparency International.
Results from a recent PROBIDAD survey of business leaders who have public sector contracts suggest that the timing is right for reform initiated by the private sector. Although the majority of business leaders in the survey acknowledged that they have engaged in unethical practices to achieve their economic objectives, 62 percent said that they are ready to accept the costs of committing to higher ethical standards. (See Highlights of the Probidad Survey for details on the survey.)
By raising awareness of ethical codes of conduct and bolstering support for businesses through local chambers of commerce, PROBIDAD hopes to change traditional private sector thinking and to bring an end to the culture of corruption that pervades business dealings with the government.
PROBIDAD has developed an ethical code of conduct that sets a high standard for transactions with the government. Through Colombia's 57 local chambers of commerce, businesses are being asked to commit to this code and to uphold ethical practices within their companies and in their relationships with the public sector. By working through the local chambers, PROBIDAD also hopes to develop cohesion within Colombia's private sector and to provide support for businesses in the struggle against corruption.
The PROBIDAD program is generating a new culture in the relationship between Colombia's public and private sectors. Its code of conduct is regarded as the "dorsal spine" of a strategy to encourage business ethics and to strengthen a new class of business leaders committed to securing Colombia's place in the global economy.