by Scott Coates

The cure it seems to riding the world of bribes is pants without pockets.
A recent BBC online story told of how authorities at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Airport are issuing pants without pockets to airport staff. It seems there have been a high number of complaints by Nepalis that workers at the airport have been accepting/requesting bribes, almost exclusively from Nepalis, not tourists, over the last few months.

Be sure to wear your pants

Due to the stagnant economy in Nepal, many people, mostly men, seek employment in the Middle East, where they can earn better wages, send funds home and visit occasionally. The average Nepali makes $1,100US/year and finding a way to get a little extra is appealing, especially when you work at the airport, seeing people coming and going with neat things in-hand.

During my many visits to Nepal, you see lots and lots of television sets and other high-tech good being brought in by Nepali workers returning home from a stint abroad. These goods are not only available outside the country but much less expensive than in this land-locked, Himalayan country. My guess would be the temptation for Customs officers to not make a bit of money on a spontaneous ‘import tax’ is likely the main cause of the bribes. I can also say that during my many visits to Nepal and going through Immigration at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Airport, I have never been asked for money and only received most polite service. Nor have I ever heard of foreigners being asked for bribes – ever.

It must be stressful to return to your home country and have to contend with Immigration and Customs officials looking to make some extra Rupees from their countrymen. This is likely not much different than how goods get into a lot of countries but authorities proposing pants without pockets for airport staff seems a bit ridiculous. Where will one keep their wallet, house keys, money for lunch and mobile phone? Is this really going to improve the problem, rather than say educating airport staff of the dangers of accepting bribes, boosting their wages a bit and laying out a harsh penalty for those who accept bribes? Then again no one would get new pants and the people who make pants would have less work. What do you think the chances are someone at the top of the airport staff also has a company that makes pants?

So, next time you go to Nepal and enter via the country’s main airport you’ll see hands by their sides and certainly no bribes happening. To pants without pockets!