Corruption at airports.

[Mohan]

What is your role and how can you stop it.

[Mohan]

I have come across this in one of the other boards. As this is a topic of crucial import, I started a separate board. I hear this rant from a lot of people that the customs officials are corrupt and they rip you off when entering the country. It is not as if they are making you pay when you carry nothing with you. It is amazing how we feel that we are the aggrieved parties when we are in it as thick as them. Why, no one ever asks you, if all you carry are your clothes. The problem arises only when we carry stuff and do not want to pay the duty. I cannot understand why we consider it our god given right to take home whatever we want and the customs officials are some evil people for making us pay the duty.
What would you rather do? Pay $1000 duty on a $2000 merchandise you are carrying or rather pay $200 bribe to the customs official. Would you rather pay a Rs.500 penalty for a traffic violation or pay Rs. 100 bribe to the policeman. Would you rather pay a 7% (or whatever it is) tax on the real price of the property you bought which may be Rs. 10 lakh, or just scale down the paper value of your property by 95% to Rs.50,000 and pay some bribe to the clerk in the registration office to register the property. The choice seems to be clear, i.e. the latter. And even then we say that they are corrupt as if we are standing on some pedestal. Sadly, the fact of the matter is there should not have been a choice at all in the first place. If you take stuff home, you pay the duty. If you commit a violation, you pay the penalty. Period.

Guys, I really don\'t mean to sound pedantic. But I think it is we with the kind of choices we make who breed corruption. I am not defending the corrupt bureaucrats. They are dime a dozen. But I think we can choke them if we choose to abide by the rules. It makes our life difficult a trifle, but it is well worth the price.

[Babu Rao]

Mohan,...... like it or not people get harrashed and literally pushed in corner while entering india at the airports. A person works his ass of in foregin country and trys to bring some small stuff for that reason he gets rip of in the hands of oxymoron custom officials. I have seen and gone through myself in that situation.

[Mohan]

Sir, Mr. Babu Rao, may I ask, what it was that you were carrying. A tourist (defined as a person normally resident abroad visiting for a duration of less than 6 months) is entitled to carry with him an allowance of upto Rs. 6000 of merchandise and any personal effects to be consumed during the stay (like perfumes etc.) and any electronic equipment like camcorders, cameras etc. provided they are reexported when the tourist leaves the country. If this is all you carry, I bet, that no customs official can harass you. I am not saying that they would not try. But you NEED NOT PAY A SINGLE PENNY AS DUTY OR AS A BRIBE. Fact is most people are ignorant about what is permissible. They want to take home TVs, VCRs what not and not pay duty. Of course they are placing themselves at the mercy of the customs officials. If a customs official does not take any bribe and lets one who is carrying all this stuff go, without charging duty, then he is guilty of dereliction of duty. But we treat him as a nice person. Isnt it a tragedy.

[dil hai hindustani]

I had so many incidents with custom officers who try to get some money out of me for nothing. One time my luggage was open 3 times by 3 different officer just because i refused to pay anything. I wasn\'t carrying any thing that should be taxed for. I had a custom list from indian consulate in USA. according to that list i had nothing to be taxed for. After three attempts they did let me go. Everytime they opened my suitcase they had to close it. Other time i was traveling domestic from bombay to hyderabad with some gold coins. The security stopped me and ask me to give her some money. I refused to give her any thing. I had the receipt with me and i showed to her. She wanted something from me. Finally she did let me go and she had to carry my handbag to the plane. they are not suppose to ask for that stuff. It was custom department to ask me for tax on gold. This was a domestic flight not international to go through custom. They try to get you for anything. If you are scared or don\'t know the law they you get ripped off.

[conscious]

I believe that we should do our part in reducing the cancer of corruption in our society. I also believe that every one of us has played a part in it\'s burgeoning. Watching it happen is like being a cohort in a crime. I should admit, I do not have an answer on how to treat the disease but do know that working together will stop it from spreading. Having said all that, I do think airports are gateways to a country and it is important that we understand how important it is to put in that little extra effort there. Here\'s a different perspective - let me enlighten you on how awe inspiring our customs and immigration officials can be in giving the first impression of our proud country to visitors. My buddy from the East Coast and I were at Bombay airport last year and we had a policeman trust us into a line for immigration. I actually could not believe that he used his baton to move us in. It felt like we were entering the alcatraz meal room from our prison cells. I think most times we are blinded to such delightful shows of reception because we\'ve been there one too many times, but if I really were in my friend\'s shoes, I\'d think twice about coming back. The customs and immigration officials are supposed to be like the ushers at a wedding. If we keep walking down this path, there is not way in this world we will be able to attract people to this country, no matter what the tourism department does. It is the attitude that kills and I don\'t believe right now we have what it takes. You might argue saying they are not paid enough and you can\'t expect any more out of disgruntled officers, but trust me I have been to some Southeast Asian countries that have very less to offer but their hospitality and it shows when you arrive there. My friends, this attitude that I talk about is not just among the officials at the airport, but thrives within us. Maybe, someday we will realize what we are losing as a society and it might be a day too late.

[PK]

Guys, there is not doubt Custom Officials are corrput. I personally experience this at the Delhi International Airport. Proof, I said NO to their demand for bribe and paid the calculated duty, even after paying the duty I was asked by one of the officer \"Kuch chai pani nahi doge kya\"

[Ino Nothin]

I agree with Mohan. I think it is important for us to understand what is duty-free and what is not. We do have the responsibility to pay up, if it is a taxable item. In any case, Mr. Babu Rao, you might want to check what an \"oxymoron\" is. I think you wanted to say \"moron\".

[JACK U.S.A.]

THIS IS REGULAR HABBIT WITH ALL OFFICALS IN OUR GOVERNMENT EVERY BODY KNOWS IT IS NOT A NEW. EXAMPLE FOR RELEASING A DEAD BODY THEY ARE COLLECTING MONEY, ONLY SOURSE IS GULF RULES TO BE IMPLEMENTED TO REWARD DEATH PENALTY. JACK U.S.A.

[Jyothi]

Hey, if you pay fine or \"duty\" the question of bribe does not arine and \"Chai pani\" money is like tip to most of the workers (not officers) . Are u sure a customs officers asked U \"chai money \" ? u might have gotten confused with some porter there.