In The Balance

Bribery costs individuals, businesses and economies billions of dollars each year, and there are many international laws and conventions against it. But what happens when your firm operates in a part of the world where it's still the norm? In this episode we speak to three business people with first-hand experience of backhanders and ask how they can be avoided. One of them tells us he pays bribes as a matter of course, but if you're not willing to, does that mean you simply can't do business? Contributors: Gary Busch, managing director of political risk analysts Chunguza Associates and also Transport Logistics; Ron Cruse, founder and CEO of freight firm Logenix International and author of 'Lies, Bribes & Peril: Lessons for the Real Challenges of International Business'; and Alexandra Wrage, founder and CEO of anti-bribery consultancy TRACE International. Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Simon Tulett (Picture: Men passing banknotes under a table. Credit: Getty Images)