Under communist regimes the salaries are dictated by the government, and are publicly known. The idea was to be "fair, and equal". That is how it supposed to b

Under communist regimes the salaries are dictated by the government, and are publicly known. The idea was to be "fair, and equal". That is how it supposed to be. Alas, that is not how it ever turns out. Employees would race to the bottom with performance. Why work hard, when I will get paid the same if I do little? Result is high rises that sink and collapse, cars that fall apart, medicine that is tainted, etc. So how would things get done right? Bribery. Bribery became the differentiator. Officials will only perform their duties if they are bribed. Workers will only do the job right if they are bribed. Most post-communist/socialist countries struggle with bribery for generations. (source: first hands, both hands)