Corruption in construction projects

Recently there has been an increase in international concern about the extent of corruption in the construction industry. For example the American Society of Civil Engineers claim that corruption accounts for an estimated $340,000,000,000 of worldwide construction costs each year. Corruption such as bribery, embezzlement, kickbacks and fraud in construction projects undermines the benefits of infrastructure. This paper documents how corruption affects construction projects and discusses the growing interest in accountability in the delivery of construction projects. This paper is based on the initial findings of an ongoing research project on anti-corruption practices for infrastructure services in a number of countries in South Asia, Southern Africa, and Central Eastern Europe.