During the Peru Debate 2026 seminar, "Proposals Toward Better Government," organized by the
Economic and Social Research Consortium (CIES), it was reported that in Peru "bribes" affect 67% of the population and generate annual losses worth S/24.268 billion (about US$6.997 billion), equivalent to 13% of executed public spending.
"Let's stop viewing the phenomenon of corruption as if it only affected increases in project costs or macroeconomic indicators. There is a very strong argument that the cost of corruption is experienced in citizens' daily lives," Peruvian Studies Institute (IEP) General Director Jorge Morel stated.
"We are talking about very high levels of public distrust due to issues of State inefficiency. Now, we can always propose maximalist models on how to address this problem, but the fact is that we already have a functioning State, and we are not going to replace it with another overnight or even within five years," he added.
Morel said that inefficiency was being confused with corruption during yesterday's presidential debate, stressing the need to differentiate both problems in order to design more effective public policy responses.
In this context, the specialist presented a policy paper proposing the prioritization of digital integrity as a strategy to address the problem of corruption.
"The initiative proposes the use of digitalization, data analytics, and interoperability to reduce discretion, ensure traceability of decisions, and prevent irregularities, starting with a pilot in the health sector," he indicated.
In turn, anthropologist Andrea Mejia detailed that among the policy paper's main recommendations is a proposal for the central government to incorporate this approach into artificial intelligence, digital government, and open government policies, with verifiable standards.
"At the regional level, it is suggested to implement pilot programs in two or three regions and to make information on care, medications, and complaints transparent, with disaggregated data. At the local level, the need to ensure in-person and alternative channels for populations with digital gaps is emphasized," Mejia said.
"The roadmap includes concrete actions: within 100 days, define standards and create a data core; within one year, implement the pilot and publish an initial assessment; and within five years, expand the model to other sectors and strengthen citizen oversight," she added.
(END) CNA/MVB
Publicado: 24/3/2026