WASHINGTON-The Bush administration, in a new report with major implications for an emerging third-generation mobile-phone market worth billions of dollars in contracts, told Congress that while many countries have taken steps to make bribery of public officials illegal, some countries fall short of international requirements.
“We are also disturbed by continuing reports of alleged bribery of foreign public officials by firms based in countries for which the Convention is in force. We will continue both bilaterally and in the OECD [Organization for Economic Development] to urge these countries to remedy these legislative and enforcement deficiencies,” the State Department said.
The Convention was adopted in 1997, and has been signed by the United States and the 29 other member states of the OECD.
On June 29, the departments of state and commerce jointly submitted the third annual report on the implementation of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. The report is required by the International Anti-Bribery and Fair Competition Act of 1998.
American firms insist bribery of public officials must be curbed in order to level the playing field in the global business arena.
The report also applauded efforts to privatize the International Mobile Satellite Organization and the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, which U.S. satellite firms have criticized for having tax, market and legal advantages.
