"No one is born corrupt": State Property Management Agency head on how environment shapes a person
«A person is never born corrupt. They become corrupt», — believes Beksultan Tokonov, director of the State Agency for State Property Management (SASPM). In an interview with Economist.kg following a press tour within the framework of the Open Cabinet project, he discussed what can push a person toward corruption. We also inquired about what a modern manager should be like and which countries Kyrgyzstan should look up to.
We started with corruption: are there psychological traits that push a person toward bribes and theft, or is everyone susceptible to this? Tokonov disagreed with this approach. According to him, a person is influenced by their environment, team, and loved ones.
«Most importantly — illegal orders from management. This pushes a person toward corruption», — he emphasized.
The director also pointed out where this path begins. When asked at what level — from a chief specialist or a deputy head of a department — corruption might arise, he responded: «From the very, very lowest tier».
In this regard, he gave a positive assessment of the work of his agency and the country's leadership:
«Fortunately, our leadership consists of very decent people. They never pass down or demand illegal decisions or illegal orders from us. That is already half the battle».
Speaking about the qualities of a modern manager, Tokonov put attitude toward people above professional skills.
«Most importantly are human qualities. A leader must be clean, transparent, and close to the team and the people», — he said.
Emotional intelligence, the director added, is needed in the first place: «I believe this is a very important factor».
The editors of Economist.kg recalled that the president often speaks about building a "Singapore" in Kyrgyzstan, and asked what other states should serve as a benchmark.
Tokonov explained what he considers to be the main point in this example.
«Our esteemed president, when citing the example of Singapore, admires its leadership», — said the director.
He considers the idea correct and is convinced that Kyrgyzstan is moving in that direction.
«We are heading toward this. Economic growth and recent events in the country are proof of this», — he noted.
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Aleksandr Kanunnikov
Aleksandr Kanunnikov
