[-1:-5.00]to the Minister of Works of a Caribbean country.
[-1:-6.00]Finally,he hit upon the answer.
[-1:-7.00]Discovering that the minister collected rare books,
[-1:-8.00]he bought a rare edition of a book,
[-1:-9.00]slipped $20,000 within its pages,then presented it to the minister.
[-1:10.00]This man examined its contents,then said:
[-1:11.00]"I understand there is a two-volume edition of this work."
[-1:12.00]The sales manager,who was quick-witted,replied:
[-1:13.00]"My company cannot afford a two-volume edition, sir,
[-1:14.00]but we could offer you a copy with a preface!"
[-1:15.00]A short time later,the deal was approved.
[-1:16.00]The third category involves payments made in countries
[-1:17.00]where it is traditional to pay people to help with the passage of a business deal.
[-1:18.00]Some Middle East countries would be included on this list,
[-1:19.00]as well as certain Asian countries.
[-1:20.00]Is it possible to devise a code of rules for companies
[-1:21.00]that would prohibit bribery in all its forms?
[-1:22.00]The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
[-1:23.00]favors a code of conduct that would ban the giving and seeking of bribes.
[-1:24.00]This code would try to distinguish between commissions paid for real services
[-1:25.00]and exaggerated fees that really amount to bribes.
[-1:26.00]A council has been proposed to manage the code.
[-1:27.00]Unfortunately,opinions differ among members of the ICC
[-1:28.00]concerning how to enforce the code.
[-1:29.00]The British members would like the system to have enough legal power
[-1:30.00]to make companies behave themselves.
[-1:31.00]However,the French delegates think it is the business of governments
[-1:32.00]to make and impose law;
[-1:33.00]the job of a business community like the ICC
[-1:34.00]is to say what is right and wrong,but not to impose anything.
[-1:35.00]In a well-known British newspaper,
[-1:36.00]awriter argued recently that "industry is caught in a web of bribery"
[-1:37.00]and that everyone is "on the take";.
[-1:38.00]This is probably an exaggeration.
[-1:39.00]However,today's businessman,selling in overseas markets,
[-1:40.00]will frequently meet situations
[-1:41.00]where it is difficult to square his business interests with his moral conscience.

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