Fast-tracking inequality

So-called “premium services” allow those with financial means to bypass long queues for vital needs such as healthcare, education or government services, leaving behind those who cannot afford the additional costs. This creates a system in which wealth, rather than need, determines accessibility. 

A prime example are visa or passport procedures, where not only dubious third-party agencies exploit citizens’ need for fast processing of their visa applications with high fees for “fast-track options”. Government agencies have also started to offer premium services to wealthy citizens. The Ethiopian Immigration and Citizenship Service, for instance, has introduced a special passport process. With this two-tier system, wealthier citizens can apply for a passport in a fast-track process by paying 25,000 Ethiopian Birr (approximately $ 210), while the standard service costs 5,000 ETB (approximately $ 42). The standard fee is twelve times the country’s minimum wage for the public sector of 420 ETB (approximately $ 3.51) per month.

In the education sector, some universities offer accelerated processing of applications for an additional fee, which further increases inequalities in access to educational opportunities. Private insurance and hospitals in the healthcare sector are a premium service that has long been accepted by society and leads to faster and better treatment for the wealthy, while others have to accept longer waiting times and less services. This can have serious consequences.

An ethical dead end

The ethical problem of such services goes beyond the inconvenience to the individual and concerns the profit motive of these companies and institutions. By enabling people with financial means to bypass the usual service processes and tying up resources to do so, the facilities generate revenue at the expense of overall quality and efficiency for the general population. 

These payment models deepen the socio-economic divide, reflect the nature of current inequalities and foster frustration with public institutions. It perpetuates the impression in some places that these institutions serve the needs of the wealthy and are tailored to them at the expense of everyone else. It is therefore not surprising that trust in government and public services is waning in many African countries.

This is not least because many fast-track services in Africa are not tied to structured fees or an official payment system – rather, they operate as corrupt systems where those cases that play by the rules of secret cash handovers or mobile transactions to the people handling their matter are processed faster. 

When service providers prioritise profit over equitable access, they perpetuate a cycle of disadvantage that counteracts initiatives for development and poverty eradication. Marginalised groups often bear the brunt. The model hinders the efforts expressed in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for example, to reduce inequalities and promote peace, justice and strong institutions.

It is vital that policy makers and civil society challenge these unjust practices and the systems of corruption that enable them. If wealthier citizens want a special service, this should at least not be at the expense of existing services. Service providers must ensure that premium options do not compromise the quality of standard services because capacity or resources are prioritised to the former. This can be achieved by investing in better infrastructure, hiring more staff and streamlining processes to improve efficiency for all, regardless of income.

If such systemic improvements are not possible, institutions should reconsider the legitimacy of offering premium services as a whole. The aim must be to create systems that serve everyone equally and not just those who can afford to pay for a better and faster service.

Hafte Gebreselassie Gebrihet is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town (UCT). His research focuses on building democratic governance and resilient institutions in Africa with particular emphasis on the UN Agenda 2030 and the Africa Agenda 2063. 
hafte.gebrihet@uct.ac.za