Flipping through the morning papers, I have come to expect reports on political upheaval, traffic accidents and new Salik gates, poor air quality and crime with the occasional lighter piece on how to secure a cab via SMS messaging sprinkled in for good measure. What took me by surprise over the last few weeks have been the cover-page stories on the national newspapers the government’s zero-tolerance on “all acts of corruption, bribing and taking advantage of official positions”.
Impressive. Not only because this issue was being discussed but more importantly that it was being discussed in a very mainstream, public arena (and not buried in an obscure blog). Across the media, financial experts are calling for stricter laws to fight corruption after allegations of misconduct were uncovered in Dubai’s lucrative real estate market. This was a giant leap forward in the discussion of corporate governance and the need to address corruption in the region.
The issue of corporate openness and candor is clearly present on the minds of many living and working in the UAE. And the government and media have finally picked up on the frustrations experienced by many over the years. Irrelevant of industry, we all have heard of, or worse, experienced firsthand, companies rife with financial irregularities or simply shady business practices. How a little backhanding goes a long way, so much so that many may not even be aware that it unethical and illegal, but rather ‘just how things get done.’
A few months back, our integrity was put to the test. We had miscalculated the cost of a project for client. The miscalculation was discovered while conducting a standard “bill of quantities” check on preliminaries, civil work and joinery work in addition to electrical and mechanical operations. Every detail was measured, quantified and crosschecked with the original estimate. The original estimate was AED20,000 over the actual cost due to a discrepancy in space approximation.
Frankly, this is a fairly common occurrence within the interiors industry. With the client already signed off on the original estimate, and the check in hand, pocketing the extra AED 20,000 could have been yet another common occurrence within the interiors industry. But with Summertown’ longstanding commitment to our customers as well as our own frustrations with corruption fresh in thought, the overcharged amount was swiftly returned to the client. Surprised and speechless, the client was left thunderstruck. Giving back what was not rightfully ours after realizing the oversight was our small way of getting things done – what seems to be almost the forgotten way.