Although there is no doubt today that corruption in Afghanistan poses a serious risk to current efforts to rebuild state institutions and ensure stability and security, little is known about what the Afghan population actually considers as corrupt practice. What is acceptable and what is unacceptable behaviour in the local context? Do Western definitions of corruption and the associated behavioural standards apply to Afghanistan? These are important contextual issues, and Afghan perceptions, beliefs, values and attitudes must be taken into account in designing and implementing effective anti-corruption measures that are suited to the country.

The objective of the present project was, therefore, to address the following main research questions: i. What constitutes corruption, as Afghan see it?, ii. What are its main forms and manifestations?, iii. What are the main causes and effects?, iv. What could be the most suitable remedies? To this end, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were organized in Kabul and seven provinces with different economic, ethnic, religious and language backgrounds. The results can be summarized as follows:

Corruption in Afghanistan is a widespread problem that has permeated all sectors and all levels of the public administration and, in the opinion of many, taken root in Afghan culture. Although small-scale bribery or petty corruption is often socially justified on the grounds of low public service salaries, there is no social tolerance for “disproportionate” extraction of bribes or outright greed. Furthermore, corruption is in general condemned as being immoral and against Islam even though many people do not find an easy way out of the trap of corruption.

The following statement reflects the strong consensus that corruption has grown to an unprecedented level: “Despite the fact that we now have an apparently democratic state, the occurrence of corruption is much more frequent and on a larger scale than ever before.” Though the periods of the Mujahiddin and the Taliban were often mentioned as the most difficult times, current levels of corruption are perceived as the most delegitimizing factor for the state.

Corruption networks or Band-Bazi have spread in the administration and now constitute a wide and interwoven web of heterogeneous groups that use their positions largely for private or small group gains and effectively block reform. A “bazaar-economy” has developed where every position, favour, and service can be bought and sold. One corrupt practice can be a cause and / or consequence of another corrupt practice, leading to a vicious cycle of self-perpetuation.

Suggesting possible measures for tackling corruption was considered a very difficult task. People often emphasized with a certain resignation that due to the strong and interwoven spider web of illicit networks, which are closely collaborating from district to provincial and central level, it was difficult to identify feasible solutions. Aware of the fact that the whole administrative and political system needs to be changed, interviewees believed that small steps, like strengthening the provincial councils, aiming at behavioural change through religious education, and awareness raising via media could build the ground for reform programs and a slow change in culture.