The term "facilitation payment" refers to:

The correct answer is - Payments made to accelerate legitimate government processes

Key Points

• Facilitation Payment
  • These are typically small amounts of money paid to government officials.
  • The purpose is to expedite or secure the performance of a routine governmental action.
  • Examples include speeding up the processing of permits or licenses.
  • Such payments are considered bribes in many jurisdictions, but they are legally permissible in some under specific conditions.

Additional Information

• Legal Context
  • Facilitation payments are generally legal under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the United States, but the payments must be for routine governmental actions.
  • The UK Bribery Act 2010, however, does not recognize facilitation payments as legal and prohibits them entirely.
• Ethical Considerations
  • While facilitation payments may be legal in some jurisdictions, they are often viewed as unethical because they can perpetuate corruption.
  • Many organizations have internal policies that prohibit such payments to maintain ethical standards and corporate integrity.
• Difference from Bribery
  • Facilitation payments are meant to expedite routine actions that officials are already obligated to perform.
  • Bribery involves paying an official to obtain or retain business or secure an improper advantage, which goes beyond routine governmental actions.