Contractors are top bribe payers

• Foreign firms dealing in medical supplies and construction are the worst offenders

Major construction and medical supplies projects are sometimes awarded following hefty bribes by contractors, according to a new survey.

Other areas where bribery is rife for international companies working abroad include real estate, oil and gas, and mining.

The Bribe Payers Index 2008 launched yesterday said most firms of emerging economic giants were perceived to be major bribe givers when doing businesses abroad. Some of the countries affected are India, China and Russia.

In Africa, South Africa is one of the countries whose companies are engaged in major business deals with Kenya, especially in the pharmaceutical industry.

According to the report, Russia is the country whose companies are most likely to offer bribes and is ranked 22.

It has a score of 5.9 out of a possible 10 points for the 22 countries perceived to have companies that are likely to offer bribes while engaging in business.

China, ranked 21, and India at 19 are the other countries topping the bribery list.

They have bribery perceptions of 6.5 and 6.8 respectively.

South Africa with a score of 7.5 is ranked at number 14 out of 22 countries. Its embassy declined to comment on its rankings when invited to do so by Nation.

Belgium and Canada, with a perception of 8.8, shared first place showing their companies were perceived as the least likely to bribe abroad.

Netherlands and Switzerland shared third place on the index, each with a score of 8.7.

According to the survey, public works and construction companies are perceived as the most corrupt prone.

Counterfeit drugs

In Kenya, construction and health sectors have often been cited as the most prone to procurement corruption.

Large volumes of counterfeit drugs are brought into the country.