Beyond digital fixes: Why Indian Customs needs an integrity overhaul

Corruption persists despite automation; calls grow for accountability, staff protection, and evidence-based reforms

On October 31, 2003, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the ‘UN Convention against Corruption’ (UNCAC) and designated December 9 as ‘International Anti-Corruption Day’. Last Tuesday, that occasion went largely unnoticed in India — a surprising indifference given the country’s rank of 96 in the global corruption index. Hopefully, the five-day eleventh biennial Conference of the States Parties to the UNCAC that starts today in Doha, Qatar, will get more attention.

 

'International days' are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilise political will and resources and assess the progress made.  Last year, the UN adopted ‘Uniting with Youth against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity’ as the theme for two years, with a view to engage youngsters, listen to them and enlist their support to fight corruption.

 

An updated report released on the 'anti-corruption day' titled ‘Clean Business is Good Business’, prepared jointly by International Chamber of Commerce, Transparency International and UN Global Compact, calls on all companies of all sizes to put integrity at the heart of their operations, affirming that organisations that uphold ethical conduct are more resilient in times of uncertainty. It highlights that integrity is a crucial competition differentiator because the customers and other stakeholders prefer trustworthy partners.

 

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) calls upon Customs administrations to implement comprehensive and sustainable integrity action plans based on the key principles outlined in its ‘Revised Arusha Declaration’. Its 10-point programme details specific action plans for leadership and commitment, regulatory framework, transparency, automation, reform and modernisation, audit and investigation, code of conduct, human resource management, morale and organisational culture and relationship with the private sector.

 

The WCO’s Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion Programme (A-CIP) launched in 2019 proposes a structured methodology to measure corruption rather than rely on anecdotes. This includes integrity risk assessments, anonymous staff and trader perception surveys, analysis of complaints and vigilance data, time-and-cost studies of cargo clearance, and periodic self-assessments aligned to the Arusha principles. The focus is on identifying pressure points where discretion, delay and opacity impose heavy transaction costs.

 

The ‘Customs Integrity Perception Survey’ under the A-CIP is designed to provide Customs administrations with a reliable, evidence-based assessment of how integrity is perceived both internally, by Customs officials, and externally, by the private sector. It serves as a key diagnostic instrument to guide reform, monitor progress over time, and ensure accountability in integrity promotion efforts. Recent A-CIP reviews underscore a central lesson: corruption cannot be addressed through automation alone, nor managed effectively without credible evidence.

 

Indian Customs have introduced self-assessment, digitalisation, risk management, single window interface with partner government agencies, faceless assessment etc. to reduce or eliminate the occasions for personal interactions with the officials. However, the handling of exceptions is rather poor at the operating levels. The framework of the Customs laws and the allied laws enforced at the borders is complex. Minor immaterial documentation discrepancies lead to hold-up of import/export consignments. In such an environment, informal payments function as lubricants. Even firms with robust internal compliance systems face pressure to prioritise speed over ethics when supply chains are so disrupted.

 

Indian Customs must move beyond technology to build credible and independent vigilance systems, engage with youngsters, conduct   integrity surveys, protect honest officers and punish corrupt elements and treat integrity not as mere ethical talk but as an imperative for competitiveness.