A few years ago, Scott Guggenheim, a social development sector coordinator at the World Bank, hiked to a village in North Sumatra, Indonesia, to see its new water system. But he couldn’t find the apparatus. Eventually, he located its PVC pipes: The village head had fashioned them into lawn furniture, which he was selling in the nearby market town. “Corruption is rampant in Indonesia, and it acts like a tax on development projects and business,” attests Benjamin A. Olken, an…

To read this article and start a full year of unlimited online access, subscribe now!

Already a subscriber?

Need to register for your premium online access,
which is included with your paid subscription?

Support SSIR’s coverage of cross-sector solutions to global challenges. 
Help us further the reach of innovative ideas. Donate today.

Read more stories by Alana Conner.