SPECIAL FEATURE: The New Government.

(From BusinessWorld (Philippines))

Byline: Catherine Rose G. Torres

Bureaucracy is as old as government itself, and to a certain extent, it is necessary. After all, paperwork and other formalities were put in place for the sake of the governed, to make sure, for example, that their transactions are systematically recorded for subsequent reference, or that the government's dealings are monitored to avoid under-the-table activities.

But in time, these rules and regulations became twisted, and what was initially intended to increase efficiency and protect the people became fertile ground for ineptness and abuse by government functionaries.

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