Corruption is among the greatest obstacles to economic and social development. The harmful effects of corruption are especially severe on the poor, who are hardest hit by economic decline, most reliant on the provision of public services, and least capable of paying the extra costs associated with bribery, fraud, and the misappropriation of economic privileges. Corruption also represents a significant additional cost of doing business in many developing countries. It undermines development by distorting the rule of law and weakening the institutional foundation upon which economic growth depends.
Corruption damages policies and programs that aim to reduce poverty, so attacking corruption is critical to the achievement of IFC's overarching mission of poverty reduction. Countering corruption is therefore aligned with IFC’s overarching mission to promote sustainable private sector investment in developing countries, to help reduce poverty and improve people's lives.
