“In an unprecedented fit of generosity — and I use that word carefully — the government of the day made a written commitment to repay all of the creditors,” says Afra Raymond in today’s talk. “It’s not just like Wall Street. Trinidad and Tobago is a place with different laws of physics.”
In today’s talk, given at TEDxPortofSpain — which happened to be held inside Trinidad and Tobago’s Central Bank — Raymond calls for greater transparency and accountability in his government’s financial dealings. In the talk, he takes a look at several recent examples of government corruption — as well as one that has haunted him for 30 years. While Trinidad and Tobago became wealthy in the 1970s as the value of oil increased, the government quickly ran out of funds. In 1982, the Prime Minister revealed that only 1 out of every 3 dollars that had been earmarked for development had been used to produce goods and services. Sadly, 2 out of every 3 dollars had been wasted or stolen.
To hear more about these cases of corruption — and the three myths of corruption that Raymond wants to break — watch this brave talk. And here, more talks on government corruption in countries like England, Kenya, Germany and India, that show that this is a problem without borders.
 Peter Eigen: How to expose the corrupt Pervasive government corruption is at the root of many of the world’s most challenging social problems. In this talk from TEDxBerlin, Peter Eigen shares what his organization, Transparency International, is doing to counter it. |
 Heather Brooke: My battle to expose government corruption Tenaciously following through on Freedom of Information Act requests about members of Parliament and their expenses, journalist Heather Brooke uncovered a scandal that led to six ministers tendering their resignation. At TEDGlobal 2012, she shares the importance of checking in on our leaders. |
 Shaffi Mather: A new way to fight corruption Shaffi Mather started 1298 for Ambulance, a life-saving service that brought ambulance transportation to parts of India. At TEDIndia 2009, he shares a bold idea for a company to fight corruption in public service. |
 Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: Want to help Africa? Do business here Most people know about — and maybe even expect — corruption in Africa. But at TED2008, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala shares the lesser-told story of reform in many African nations. |
 Sanjay Pradhan: How open data is changing international aid Sanjay Pradhan of the World Bank Institute got a taste of corruption at just 6 years old, when a contractor, hoping to get government work from his father, delivered a cart of sweets to their doorstep. At TEDGlobal 2012, he shares how the experience shaped his approach to international aid. |
 George Ayittey: “Cheetahs” vs. “hippos” in African politics Ghanaian economist George Ayittey unleashes a torrent of controlled anger toward corrupt leaders across Africa — and calls on the “Cheetah generation” to take back the continent. |
 David Bismark: E-voting without fraud David Bismark demos a new system for voting that contains a simple, verifiable way to prevent fraud and miscounting — while keeping each person’s vote secret. |