The challenge
Getting business and building permits invited officials to demand bribes.
The case
Getting a business or small construction license in Guadalajara, Mexico, used to mean visiting offices where officials could speed up or stall applications, which created openings for bribes. Starting in 2016 the city moved the process onto Visor Urbano, an online platform that shows exactly what is allowed on every plot of land and processes applications with clear rules. A study based on surveys and interviews with users found bribe requests from municipal agents fell by 74%, and processing times dropped sharply.
Why it worked
Corruption thrived on officials' discretion and on applicants not knowing the rules. Making rules public and processing transparent removed both, without needing new enforcement.
Sources
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