On Wednesday Transparency International published its Bribe Payers Index.

One of its key findings is:

“Bribery prevalent across business sectors. Bribery is perceived to occur in all business sectors, but is seen as most common in the public works contracts and construction sector.”

The report will be read by industry executives, advisers, investigators and prosecutors and shines the spotlight firmly on the industry.

And yet.

The Transparency International report needs to be balanced against the very real steps the construction industry has taken from an anti-corruption perspective.

Transparency International itself acknowledges in its report that there are strong anti-corruption initiatives in the construction industry.

One of these (not cited) is the UK Contractor Group (UKCG) anti-bribery code and guidance launched earlier this year.

This Friday 4 November, join us, UKCG and the SFO at Pinsent Masons London office, 30 Crown Place, EC2A 4ES between 8am – 10am.  We shall be holding holding a Bribery Act breakfast seminar around the UKCG code  with our key note speaker Richard Alderman, Director of the SFO.

Against the back drop of this weeks TI Bribe Payers Index Report the event could not be more timely.

If you are involved in the Construction Sector then this is a must attend event which will provide an opportunity to debate issues of concern about the application of the new Bribery Act and hear first hand from the UK Serious Fraud Office.

There are limited spaces available now – if you would like to attend the breakfast meeting please contact Barry via email on barry.vitou@pinsentmasons.com.

Image © Crown Copyright 2011