Assessment of corruption on title deeds registration and transfer services of Sebeta (PDF)

Master's Thesis from the year 2019 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Africa, Addis Ababa University (College of Business and Economics), course: Public Management and Policy, language: English, abstract: Corruption is a phenomenon with secretive nature making it difficult to research about. Land administration is one of the main economic sectors prone to higher level of corruption. The overall goal of this research was to identify the link between corruption in land title deeds registration and transfer processes and its bearing on service delivery at Sebeta town administration. In specific terms, this research was conducted with the following three aims. The first aim was understanding prevalence of corruption in land title deeds registration and transfer services of Sebeta municipality. The second aim was understanding whether service delivery was negatively impacted due to high prevalence of corruption and the last aim was consolidating possible measures stated by service seekers and officials as effective ways to prevent corruption.

In this research, over eighty service seekers sampled out of community members waiting for their cases being processed at Sebeta municipality premises were interviewed. Respondents were selected using purposive sampling technique so as to identify respondents who were at the premises with the purpose of getting their property registered or transferred. From government office, officers at OEACC, Justice office, head of public service and land administration reform desk team leader were interviewed. Findings of this research indicates that majority of service seeker respondents perceive that Sebeta land administration is plagued with corruption which does not show any sign of decreasing even under the current regime which promised swiping reforms.

Respondents also consider that service delivery was deteriorated due to systematic corruption engrained in the daily dealings of officers at the land administration. Involvement of middlemen in getting cases processed at the office was named one of the most worrying hinderances put on the way of other service seekers. Officers indicated that grand corruption has ceased since the reform; but ordinary citizens refute the claim, saying that local level has not seen significant reform or hope of it coming. In conclusion, there is a strong tendency to consider corruption as a normal routine by the wider public in their daily discourse. Added to this service delivery is undertaken through network of middlemen who use up majority of office hours of officers responsible for serving the public equally.