BUREAUCRATICS

BUREAUCRATICS
Jan Banning
Nazraeli Press
number 3 of
Parr/Nazraeli Edition of 10
Bureaucratics: An Introduction
By Will Tinnemans
Working on Bureaucratics, we sometimes felt like the police inspector forced to commit a crime to solve a
murder. Trying to unmask the face of a bureaucracy means running into many a bureaucratic obstacle. The
process of acquiring permission to photograph and interview civil servants involves in many countries a
bureaucracy in and of itself.
The Liberian capital of Monrovia was during our visit in 2006 just awakening from the violent night-
mare of fteen years of civil war. Sleazy ofcials left us waiting for days before leading us into a labyrinth
of which they themselves didnt know the way out either. They ushered us out with an expensive little ac-
creditation card that provided access mainly to empty ofces and that, in any case, we learned during a visit
with the assistant secretary for information, turned out to be fake.
In Siberia, Russia, bureaucratic chieftains evidently are still possessed by the Soviet spirit. Every visit
to a government agency was preceded by a lengthy monologue by the department head, who effortlessly
reeled off numbers, weights, heights, depths and widths in his eld. In each city in the Chinese province of
Shandong, we paid again and again with never-ending lunches and dinners for the permission to visit gov-
ernment ofces. Excessive numbers of toasts involving a drink appropriately named rocket fuel sealed what
seemed to be friendships for life. But the next day, the now-sober bureaucrat erected a cardboard faade the
likes of which would have made Prince Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin jealous.
In Yemens stunningly beautiful capital Sanaa we were stuck for four consecutive mornings to Nauga-
hyde vinyl cushions in the PR managers ofce at the Ministry of Information. The assistant secretary for
some reason refused to sign our travel permits. A simple display of power? Fear that we would make his
country look ridiculous? Or was he waiting for a bribe? We will never know, but these kinds of incidents did
teach us early on how the bureaucracy in a particular country operates.
What possesses two people a photographer and a writer to visit thousands of government ofcials in
eight countries spread across the globe? The idea for Bureaucratics is rooted in experiences and irritations
with the bureaucratic process but also in the fascination with the unfazed manner in which tens of millions
of ofcials worldwide keep the wheels of government spinning.
The German sociologist Max Weber, in his monumental 1922 book Economy and Society, demonstrated
howa state should design its agencies and ofces to approach the Enlightenment ideals of justice and equali-
ty. Not that everyone has applied his prescriptions or accepted the limitations they put on both the citizenry
and those in power. In developing countries, but also in the West, we regularly hear or read about scandals
involving corruption and abuse of power. Still, bureaucratic arbitrariness, especially in the Western world,
has been kept in check more than ever in history. But government institutions that treat citizens regardless
of their standing inevitably also confront these citizens with objective criteria, protocols and procedures.
And in many countries, on a daily basis, such bureaucratic means gets the adrenaline owing. Verbal abuse
or even physical violence against civil servants is the result sometimes of the helplessness experienced by
citizens simply picking up a permit. They have to complete piles of documents, submit themselves to
inspections and audits and, adding insult to injury, pay substantial fees. For many citizens, bureaucracy is,
therefore, unequivocally and nothing but a pain in the ass.
This book is not about all these citizens and their big and small irritations. Bureaucratics hones in on
the typically anonymous civil servant who, anywhere in the world, makes up a small cog in the gigantic ma-
chinery of the state. Like the man in the province of Bihar in Northern India, who is appointed to reserve
a room in the state-owned Bihar House for his fellow civil servants who on ofcial duty have to visit New
Delhi, the capital of India. Or the revenue ofcial in Smell-no-Taste, who still tries to pluck a few feathers
from the bare chicken that is Liberia after fteen years of civil war. The sheriff who, picking his nose with
b: a. i.-01 of 03 [Utr., WT (b. 1959)]
Foreword
By Martin Parr
If rigour is the new watchword for contemporary photography, then Jan Banning and his collaborator, the
writer Will Tinnemans, supply it by the bucket load and must be masters of this art. Receiving permission
to shoot portraits of bureaucrats is in itself an achievement, when you consider the countries they decided
to visit: India, Yemen, Bolivia and others. I would not know where or how to start. So they get the go ahead,
and then Banning shoots many portraits, the best of which we see here. While Banning is setting up the
shot, Tinnemans is starting his interview. He also then rigorously accumulates much information about the
country, the salary, all kinds of details, and presents it here for us to digest and enjoy. I am exhausted just
thinking about this.
Flicking through these pages, you can sense all the hard work and dedication that has been employed in
this process. The sense of commitment that emanates through these photographs makes themso compelling.
We learn about the bureaucrats, the countries they work in and their attitude to their work. We also learn
how stacks of les, or even mess, can look so attractive. We delight in the different approaches evident in
the accumulated portraits. One can ick through these pages without having to make appointments to see
these people, and God knows how difcult that might be.
I also enjoy the poses that Banning has achieved with his portraits. The sitters faces display a kind of
resignation. They may be proud of their jobs, but they also know the job can be tedious. There are subtle
differences to be found in each country where he has photographed, and these are brought to our attention.
Perhaps Bannings greatest achievement is that he has taken what may appear to be a pedestrian topic
and brought it to life. Banning and Tinnemans leave us with a document that is both illuminating and
entertaining, confronting bureaucracy a subject we would all prefer to avoid.
b: f.-01 of 01 [Lon., MP (b. 1952)]
two ngers, keeps order in sparsely populated Crockett County, Texas. The moral crusader in Tianping
Town, who teaches villagers in his district norms and values to assure the future survival of the colossus
that is the Chinese state.
Who are they, really, the millions of government servants who keep state institutions marching along? Does
their work environment mirror the state they serve, or is their ofce an extension of their personality and
individual values? Does a peek behind the screen conrmthe stereotype of the civil servant as a glutton for
dossiers, or does he day in, day out cut a swath through the paper chaos? Is the prosperity of a nation evident
in the ofces of a states servants, for instance in the means they have at their disposal?
An answer to such questions can shine a clear light on the civil servant, we thought at the start of this
project in 2003. Moreover, by making dozens of portraits in several countries of ofcials within the execu-
tive branch, including the police, the project would provide an international comparison. Obviously the
police ofcer in India wears a different uniformthan his colleague in Bolivia, and the Texas ofcial is better
equipped than his Liberian equivalent. But are there also noticeable similarities between civil servants from
different countries?
The nations selected were spread over different continents, and within those countries we consistently
focused on one, maybe two, specic regions, departments, provinces, states or whatever form the admin-
istrative and governmental entity took. We didnt succeed in formulating an air tight rational for which
countries to select for Bureaucratics, but we nevertheless had no trouble justifying for ourselves the eventual
lineup.
India (Bihar, 2003) is the largest democracy in the world. Does its administrative system indeed func-
tion as a democracy, we wondered, and is British colonial rule still visible in the way the country is gov-
erned? Russia (Siberia, 2004) since the presidency of Boris Yeltsin is well on its way from a centralized,
planned economy to capitalism. What is the attitude of government ofcials in a country with such a recent
history of authoritarian rule, and has the transition to capitalism put an end to the communist eras cult of
personality? Bolivia (Potos, 2005) has of all the South-American countries the highest percentage of Am-
erindian residents. Can that majority be traced in the make up of the ofcialdom, or do the descendants of
the Spanish rulers after ve centuries still call the shots?
Liberia (Monrovia and several interior regions, 2006) under the leadership of president Ellen John-
son-Sirleaf is crawling out of a bloody civil war. What is left of a state apparatus in a country torn apart by
conict, and what means are available to ofcials to serve the state? France (Auvergne and Picardie, 2006)
is the republic that since the French Revolution has wanted to guarantee Libert, galit and Fraternit to
all its subjects and certainly since Napoleon is the cradle of European bureaucracy. What does such
a balanced, modern bureaucracy look like? Yemen (Central Yemen, 2006) is an Islamic country without
separation between church and state in which a central authority didnt develop until relatively recently.
Can an administration function when men are active only between 10 a.m. and noon and chew qat the rest
of the day?
The United States (Texas, 2007) is known as the most powerful country in the world. Do American of-
cials express their pride in the government ofces where they spend an important part of their life? China
(Shandong, 2007), the Middle Kingdom, has the highest number of citizens of all the worlds countries.
Already in the days of Confucius, its administration functioned relatively well. Since late 1949, the state has
been organized according to communist creed, even though since the 1980s the principles of Marx, Engels
and Mao have been applied less strictly to the economy. How does an administration that is not elected
democratically serve 1.3 billion Chinese?
In the end, two countries fell off. Cuba is a communist country that still has a centrally planned econ-
omy and where the state penetrates societys most minute nooks and crannies. For four years we angled for
permission to work in the land of Fidel Castro, but during a visit to Havana in the fall of 2007, it became
clear that Cuban authorities were unwilling to grant us the freedom necessary to prole a few dozen civil
servants. We thought the Vatican would add a certain richness to the project because the Roman-Catholic
administrative structure and church law presented an early form of government authority in Europe. We
managed to make substantial inroads into the Vaticans bureaucracy, but the death of Pope John Paul II in
2005 caused all contacts and informal promises to go up into thin air. We did consider the United Nations
as the supranational bureaucracy, but a 2006 visit to U.N. headquarters in NewYork failed to showthe pho-
tographer how U.N. ofcials dull, uniform, impersonal cubicles could justify more than a single shot.
If the ofcials portrayed here in their work environment come across as natural, a large part of our mission
has succeeded. After all, we wanted to show bureaucracies as the average citizen encounters them when he
stops by for a permit, to view an archival document, pay taxes or le a report with the police. The photog-
rapher opted for a tight concept and composition with a parallel arrangement of visual objects, an approach
in which connoisseurs will recognize Dutch masters such as Johannes Vermeer and Piet Mondrian.
Already during our rst trip, to India, we noticed that ofcials about to be photographed tend to soak
and polish their ofce as if it were the royal bathroom. To prevent this, we caught them off guard. We rst
met with the highest ofcial in the government building. Almost always we received permission to inspect
all ofce spaces. Based on the individual behind the desk, the decoration of the space and light conditions
and other technical criteria, the photographer determined whether there were suitable candidates. Only
then didwe reveal our intentions. We did so by ambushing the personinquestion to the point of paralysis well
before the ofcial had an opportunity to put his perforator and ruler into a drawer, organize or move piles
of paper and produce portraits of his child and dog, I began a thorough interrogation while the photogra-
pher positioned tripod and lights and produced Polaroid proofs. Because of the seamless transition from
interview to photo session, the person portrayed simply never had time or the opportunity to intervene in
his work environment.
This worked everywhere except China. There virtually every visit was announced well in advance by
our chaperones from the Foreign Affairs Ofce. Most desks looked, therefore, as if no one does any work
in Chinese government ofces. In several cases, incidentally, this approached reality a bit closer than does
the image authorities wish to dish up to outsiders that of a well-oiled state apparatus, nicely in order,
populated by impeccable, committed civil servants. We did make heroic efforts to get away from all this
governmental staging.

With the fruits of the Bureaucratics project this photo book, an exhibition and a book of stories about our
experiences with the bureaucracy in the eight countries selected, so far published only in The Netherlands we
lift the veil of anonymity off a few hundred people, some of whom have found a spot in this book. Repre-
senting an army of millions of government ofcials, they show how civil servants mirror the character of
their nation.
With a sense of melancholy, I say goodbye to the absurd humor we were presented with during our at
times hilarious visits to government ofces. I remain, of two minds. After touring government ofces for a
good four years, I couldnt stand to see them any more, those thorough civil servants who, paid by society,
frustrate their fellow citizens through bureaucratic pestering, dotting the i and crossing the t and with
formalities that make sense to no one. But at the same time I am more aware than ever that the partial re-
striction of freedoms imposed by the ofcialdom in the spirit of Max Weber is a prerequisite for a life
lived in liberty. Still, in closing I have to admit in all honesty that the trek between bureaucracies also has
made me aware of how lucky I amthat I dont have to deal on a daily basis with the Liberian, Yemenite and
Chinese authorities.
Author Will Tinnemans (b. 1959) lives in The Netherlands. With photographer and friend Jan Banning he has
worked for more than 20 years on projects abroad and at home. Since 2003, Tinnemans and Banning have photo-
graphed and interviewed approximately 250 civil servants in eight countries.

b: a. i.-02 of 03 [Utr., WT (b. 1959)] b: a. i.-03 of 03 [Utr., WT (b. 1959)]
BOLI VI A
bolivia-13/2005 [Bet., RVF (b. 1958)]
bolivia-24/2005 [Uyu., PCV (b. 1940)] bolivia-09/2005 [Bet., MCC (b. 1951)]
bolivia-08/2005 [Tin., CAVC (b. 1950)]
bolivia-22/2005 [Pot., DRC (b. 1972)] bolivia-25/2005 [Mil., MCR (b. 1942)]
FRANCE
france-B04/2007 [Anc., PH (b. 1952)]
france-B05/2007 [Vas., AL (b. 1974)] france-05/2006 [Cle., LK (b. 1989) / MW(b. 1949)]
france-16/2006 [Cle., RV (b. 1957)] france-B03/2007 [Amb., LM(b. 1965)]
YEMEN
yemen-35/2006 [AlM., AAN (b. 1982)]
yemen-30/2006 [Thu., AMA (b. 1974)] yemen-17/2006 [Dhi., AHM(b. 1962)]
yemen-16/2006 [Dhi., AA (b. 1955)] yemen-03/2006 [Man., NAG (b. 1969)]
yemen-28/2006 [Shi., MHA (b. 1962)] yemen-14/2006 [Tai., AAS (b. 1964)]
RUSSI A
russia-25/2004 [Tom., LVM(b. 1959)]
russia-23/2004 [Okt., SMO (b. 1974)] russia-19/2004 [Tom, MNB (b. 1962)]
russia-24/2004 [Ale., NIV (b. 1954)] russia-29/2004 [She., YLB (b. 1976)]
LI BERI A
liberia-04/2006 [Mon., AD (b. 1940)]
liberia-32/2006 [Kak., SPSK (b. 1955)] liberia-35/2006 [Sme., BFN (b. 1962)]
liberia-29/2006 [Car., ADT (b. 1946)] liberia-19/2006 [Nye., WW(b. 1963)]
liberia-38/2006 [Mon., LNS (b. 1964)] liberia-12/2006 [Gra., ACG (b. 1950)]
I NDI A
india-17/2003 [Pat., SP (b. 1962)]
india-15/2003 [Pat., SP (b. 1947)] india-23/2003 [Kis., ZA (b. 1953)]
india-21/2003 [Tha., MD (b. 1960)] india-22/2003 [Kis., AK (b. 1948)]
india-29/2003 [The., HDP (b. 1947)]
india-01/2003 [Man., RY (b. 1970)] india-19/2003 [Tha., SKM(b. 1946)]
usa-18/2007 [Pal., RF (b. 1963)]
USA
usa-11/2007 [Ozo., SF (b. 1961)] usa-01/2007 [Roc., TH (b. 1949)]
usa-04/2007 [Aus., DME (b. 1969)] usa-35/2007 [Woo., JW(b. 1952)]
usa-12/2007 [Ozo, NH (b. 1942)] usa-24/2007 [Lin., SC (b. 1971)]
china-06/2007 [Jin., QSF (b. 1964)]
CHI NA
china-10/2007 [Cui, CW(b. 1943)/CG (b. 1969)] china-22/2007 [Tie.,ZMG (b. 1966)]
china-19/2007 [Tai., GSW(b. 1987)] china-23/2007 [Tai., JJY (b. 1958)]
NOTES TO THE PLATES
Notes: Exchange rates and population gures are
from when the photo sessions and interviews were
conducted. U.S. incomes reported here are before
taxes; all others are after taxes.
Bolivia 2005: Department of Potos
Standard workweek: 40 hours
bolivia-13/2005 [Bet., REV (b. 1958)]
Rodolfo Villca Flores (b. 1958) is chief super-
visor of market and sanitary services of the
municipality of Betanzos, Cornelio Saavedra
province. Previously he worked as a brick-
layer, electrician, plumber and handyman.
Monthly salary: 1,150 bolivianos ($ 143, 128).
bolivia-09/2005 [Bet., MCC (b. 1951)]
Mario Calizaya Condor (b. 1951) is deputy
mayor of Betanzos, Cornelia Saavedra prov-
ince. He completed elementary school only
and subsequently was a farmer. Monthly sala-
ry: 1,200 bolivianos ($ 149, 133).
bolivia-24/2005 [Uyu., PCV (b. 1940)]
Palmira Cdiz Velzquez (b. 1940) is a librar-
ian in the municipality of Uyuni, Antonio
Quijarro province. She works to supplement
her husbands pension of 1,000 bolivianos
($ 124, 111). Monthly salary: she doesnt
know; she has just started her job and has not
yet received a paycheck but hopes for approx-
imately 400 bolivianos ($ 50, 44).
bolivia-08/2005 [Tin., CAVC (b. 1950)]
Constantino Ayaviri Castro (b. 1950), previ-
ously a construction worker, is a police of-
cer third class for the municipality of
Tinguipaya, Toms Fras province. The po-
lice station does not have a phone, car or
typewriter. Monthly salary: 800 bolivianos
($ 100, 189).
bolivia-22/2005 [Pot., DRC (b. 1972)]
David Ruiz Doro (b. 1972) is chief of ur-
ban and environmental projects at the
Department of Public Works Technical
Division of the municipality Potos, the cap-
ital of the department by the same name.
Monthly salary: 2,400 bolivianos ($ 299, 267).
bolivia-25/2005 [Mil., MCR (b. 1942)]
Marcal Castro Revollo (b. 1942) is shopkeep-
er and at the desk in the back civil ser-
vant for the Registry of Births, Deaths and
Marriages in the municipality of Betanzos,
Cornelio Saavedra province. Also at the
desk in the front he is responsible for the
polling station of the Corte Departemental
Electoral de Potos. Monthly salary: 500 boli-
vianos ($ 62, 55).
France 2006/2007: Auvergne and Picardie
regions
Standard workweek: 35 hours
france-B04/2007 [Anc., PH (b. 1952)]
Pascale Hoornaert (b. 1952) works eight hours
a week as town clerk in Ancienville (popula-
tion 78), Aisne department, Pidardie region.
She holds the same position in two other vil-
lages nearby, working a total of 31 hours per
week. Monthly salary: 1,025 ($ 1,348).
france-B05/2007 [Vas., AL (b. 1974)]
Anglique Lambert (b. 1974) works six hours
a week as town clerk in Vassogne (population
51), Aisne department, Picardie region. She
holds the same position in three other vil-
lages nearby, working a total of 35 hours per
week. Monthly salary: 1,200 ( $ 1,578).
france-05/2006 [Cle., MW(b. 1949) / LK
(b. 1989)]
Maurice Winterstein (b. 1949) works in
Clermont-Ferrand for the Commission for
the Advancement of Equal Opportunity and
Citizenship at the combined administrative of-
ces of the Auvergne region and the Puy-de-
Dme department. He also is in charge of the
portfolio of religious affairs, Islamin particular.
Monthly salary: 1,550 ($ 2,038). The young
lady next to himis Linda Khettabi (b. 1989),
an intern pursuing training as a secretary.

france-16/2006 [Cle., RV (b.1957)]
Roger Vacher (b. 1957) is a narcotics agent
with the national police force in Clermont-
Ferrand, Puy-de-Dme department,
Auvergne region. Monthly salary: 2,200
($ 2,893).
france-B03/2007 [Amb., LM(b. 1965)]
Laurence Maillard (b. 1965) works sev-
en hours per week as town clerk in Ambrief
(population 72), Aisne department, Picardie
region. She holds the same position in anoth-
er village nearby, working a total of 19 hours
per week. Monthly salary: 500 ($ 657).
* * *
Yemen 2006: Governorates of Al-
Mahwit, Amran, Ibb and Sanaa
Standard workweek: 30 hours
yemen-35/2006 [AIM., AAN (b. 1982)]
Alham Abdulwaze Nuzeli (b. 1982) works at
the regional ofce of the Ministry of Tithing
and Alms in the city of Al-Mahwit, Al-
Mahwit governorate. Monthly salary: 12,000
rial ($ 67, 46).
yemen-30/2006 [Thu., AMA (b. 1974)]
Adil Mohammed Al-Ghobari (b. 1974) is
deputy manager at the regional ofce of
the Ministry of Awqaf (Endowments) and
Religious Guidance in the district of Thula,
Amran Governorate. His income depends on
the amounts raised from awqaf, which gener-
ates for him 14,000 to 20,000 rial per month
($ 78 to $ 112, 54 to 77).
yemen-17/2006 [Dhi., AHM(b. 1962)]
Abdullah Hussein Mohammed Al-Harazi (b.
1962) is a manager at the planning and in-
frastructure department of the district of
Dhi Sufal, Ibb Governorate. Monthly salary:
32,000 rial ($ 179, 123).
yemen-16/2006 [Dhi., AA (b. 1955)]
Abdulwali Azablani (b. 1955) is head of the
district of Dhi Sufal, Ibb Governorate.
Monthly salary: 35,000 Rial ($ 196, 135).
yemen-03/2006 [Man., NAG (b. 1969)]
Nadja Ali Gayt (b. 1969) is an adviser at the
Ministry of Agricultures education center
for rural women in the district of Manakhah,
Sanaa Governorate. Monthly salary: 28,500
rial ($ 160, 110).
yemen-28/2006 [Shi., MHA (b. 1962)]
Mohammed Hamid Azein (b. 1962) col-
lects the monthly water bills in the district of
Shibam, Al-Mahwit Governorate. Monthly
salary: 21,600 rial ($ 121, 83), but he hadnt
received a salary for ve months.
yemen-14/2006 [Tai., AAS (b. 1964)]
Ali Abdulmalik Shuga (b. 1964) is responsible
for the archives of the Ministry of Trade and
Commerces governorates ofce in the city of
Taizz, Taizz Governorate. Monthly salary:
30,500 rial ($ 171, 117).
* * *
Russia, 2004, Tomsk province
Standard workweek: 45 hours
russia-25/2004 [Tom., LVM(b. 1959)]
Lyudmila Vasilyevna Malkova (b. 1959) is a
secretary to the mayor of the city of Tomsk,
Tomsk province. She and her colleague take
turns, working every other day, seven days a
week, at least 12 hours a day. Monthly salary:
10,500 rubles ($ 375, 285).
russia-23/2004 [Okt., SMO (b. 1974)]
Sergej Michailovich Osipchuk (b. 1974)
is the lone police ofcer in the village of
Oktyabrsky, Tomsk province. He does not
have a police car or one of his own not even
a bicycle. He doesnt want to reveal his salary,
but informed sources put the monthly sala-
ry of an ofcer of his rank and age at approxi-
mately 4,000 rubles ($ 143, 108).
russia-19/2004 [Tom., MNB (b. 1962)]
Marina Nikolayevna Berezina (b. 1962), a for-
mer singer and choir director, is now the sec-
retary to the head of the nancial department
of Tomsk provinces Facility Services. She
doesnt want to reveal her monthly salary.
russia-24/2004 [Ale., NIV (b. 1954)]
Nikolajevich Ilyich Volkov (b. 1954) is admin-
istrator of the village of Alexandrovskoye,
Tomsk province. Monthly salary: 9,000 ru-
bles ($ 321, 243).
russia-29/2004 [She., YLB (b. 1976)]
Yevgeny Leonidovich Bill (b. 1976) is the
lone police ofcer in the Shegarsky territo-
ry, Tomsk province. He is still studying at the
police academy in Novosibirsk. Bill has no
phone, and travels on foot in a ten-werst radi-
us around his station (one werst is 0.66 mile).
Monthly salary: 6000 rubles ($ 214, 162).
* * *
Liberia 2006: Margibi, Montserrado,
Grand Gedeh and River Gee counties
Standard workweek: 37 hours
liberia-04/2006 [Mon., AD (b. 1940)]
Major Adolph Dalaney (b. 1940) works in the
Reconstruction Room of the Trafc Police at
the Liberia National Police Headquarters in
the capital Monrovia. Monthly salary: barely
1,000 Liberian dollars ($ 18, 17). Trafc acci-
dent victims at times are willing to pay a little
extra if Dalaneys department quickly draws
up a favorable report to present to a judge.
liberia-32/2006 [Kak., SPSK (b. 1955)]
Lieutenant Samuel P.S. Kollie (b. 1955) is
chief of the Trafc Station of the Liberia
National Police in Kakata, Margibi County.
He has no police car and no means of com-
munication. When an accident is reported,
Kollie at times takes a cab at the expense of
the person reporting the accident. Monthly
salary: 900 Liberian dollars ($ 16, 15).
liberia-35/2006 [Sme., BFN (b. 1962)]
Brama F. Ny (b. 1962) is head of the Revenue
Ofce in Smell-no-Taste, Margibi County.
Once a month, he drives in a rented or bor-
rowed car to Monrovia to deliver hundreds of
thousands of Liberian and American dollars
to the Central Bank of Liberia. Monthly sala-
ry: 1,080 Liberian dollars ($ 19, 18).
liberia-29/2006 [Car., ADT (b. 1946)]
Alfred D. Tartea (b. 1946) is administrative
assistant and acting superintendent (high-
est civil servant) of Careysburg district,
Montserrado County. Monthly salary: 750
Liberian dollars ($ 13, 12.50).
liberia-19/2006 [Nye., WW(b.1963)]
Warford Weadatu Sr. (b. 1963), a former
farmer and mail carrier, now is county com-
missioner (administrator) for Nyenawliken
district, River Gee County. He has no bud-
get and isnt expecting any money soon from
the poverty-stricken authorities in Monrovia.
Monthly salary: 1,110 Liberian dollars ($ 20,
19), but he hadnt received any salary for
the previous year.
liberia-38/2006 [Mon., LNS (b. 1964)]
Louise N. Smith (b. 1964) keeps les at the
Department of Statistics of the Bureau for
Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) in
Monrovia. Monthly salary: 1,000 Liberian
dollars ($ 18, 17), almost all of which is
spent on transportation to and from work.
Sometimes she receives nothing for three
months, except for support from family in the
United States.
liberia-12/2006 [Gra., ACG (b. 1950)]
Alfred C. Garley (b. 1950), stationed in
Zwedru, is deputy revenue agent for Grand
Gedeh County. During the Liberian civil
war, the tax ofce was robbed and destroyed.
Monthly salary: approximately 1,000 Liberian
dollars ($ 18, 17).
* * *
India 2003: State of Bihar
Standard workweek: 35 hours
india-17/2003 [Pat., SP (b. 1962)]
Sushma Prasad (b. 1962) is an assistant
clerk at the Cabinet Secretary of the State
of Bihar (population 83 million) in The Old
Secretariat in the state capital, Patna. She was
hired on compassionate grounds because
of the death of her husband, who until 1997
worked in the same department. Monthly sal-
ary: 5,000 rupees ($ 110, 100).
india-15/2003 (Pat., SP (b. 1947)]
Suresh Prasad (b. 1947) is assistant clerk of
the Bihar House department in The Old
Secretariat, Patna, State of Bihar. Monthly
salary: 9,000 rupees ($ 197, 179).
india-23/2003 [Kis., ZA (b. 1953)]
Zahir Anwar (b. 1953) is dealing assistant
(in charge of day-to-day operations) at the
Drivers Licenses ofce in Kishanganj dis-
trict, State of Bihar, a third-grade employ-
ee of the state government. Monthly salary:
9,000 rupees ($ 197, 179).
india-21/2003 [Tha., MD (b. 1960)]
Dr. Munni Das (b. 1960) is Block
Development Ofcer in Thakurganj block, an
administrative entity within Kishanganj dis-
trict, State of Bihar. Monthly salary: about
10,000 rupees ($ 220, 200).
india-22/2003 [Kis., AK (b. 1948)]
Arbind Kumar (b. 1948) is head assistant
at the supply section of Food Supplies in
Kishanganj district, State of Bihar. Monthly
salary: 7,000 rupees ($ 153, 139).
india-29/2003 [The., HDP (b. 1947)]
Harsh Deo Prasad (b. 1947) is panchayat
chief (village head) in the village of Tehta,
Makhdumpur block, Jahanabad district, State
of Bihar. He informs local farmers about the
use of fertilizers, irrigation and other ways
to achieve efciency in agriculture. Monthly
salary: 9,100 rupees ($ 199, 181).
india-01/2003 [Man., RY (b. 1970)]
Ram Prabodh Yadav (b. 1970) is sub-inspec-
tor (deputy inspector) of police in Maner
block, Patna district, State of Bihar. Monthly
salary: 10,000 rupees ($ 220, 200).
india-19/2003 [Tha, SKM(b. 1946)]
Surinder Kumar Mandal (b. 1946) is circle
inspector of taxes in Thakurganj block, col-
lecting taxes in a specic part of Kishanganj
district, State of Bihar. Monthly salary: 9,500
rupees ($ 208, 189).
* * *
USA 2007: State of Texas
Standard workweek: 40 hours
usa-18/2007 [Pal., RF (b. 1963)]
Rudy Flores (b. 1963) is one of the 118 Texas
Rangers state law enforcement ofcers, who
cover 254 counties between them. He is based
in Palestine, Anderson County, Texas. He is
responsible for three counties. Monthly sala-
ry: $ 5,000 ( 3,720).
usa-11/2007 [Ozo., SF (b. 1961)]
Shane Fenton (b. 1961) is sheriff of Crockett
County, Texas, and based in Ozona, the
county seat. Monthly salary: $ 3,166 ( 2,356).
usa-01/2007 [Roc., TH (b. 1949)]
Thomas Harris (b. 1949) is chief of police of
the city of Rockdale, Milam County, Texas.
Monthly salary: $ 4,250 ( 3,162).
usa-04/2007 [Aus., DME (b. 1969)]
Dede McEachern (b. 1969) is director of li-
censing, Texas Department of Licensing
and Regulations, in the state capital, Austin.
Monthly salary: $ 5,833 ( 4,240).
usa-35/2007 (Woo., JW(b. 1952)]
Jessie Wolf (b. 1952), a former profession-
al football player for the Miami Dolphins, is
now sheriff of Tyler County, Texas, based in
Woodville, the county seat. Monthly salary:
$ 3,417 ( 2,542).
usa-12/2007 [Ozo., NH (b. 1942)]
Nancy Hale (b. 1942) is deputy treasurer of
Crockett County, Texas, and based in Ozona,
the county seat. Monthly salary: $ 2,417
( 1,798).
usa-24/2007 [Lin., SC (b. 1971)]
Shannon Crenshaw (b. 1971) is deputy clerk
at the county clerks ofce in Linden, Cass
County, Texas. Monthly salary: $ 1,750
( 1,302).
China 2007: Shandong Provice
Standard workweek: 40 hours
china-06/2007 [Jin., QSF (b. 1964)]
Qu Shao Feng (b. 1964) is chief general of
Jining Public Security Bureaus Division of
Aliens and Exit-Entry Administration in
Jining City, Shandong province. Monthly sal-
ary: 3,100 renminbi ($ 384, 286).
china-10/2007 [Cui, CW(b. 1943) / CG (b.
1969)]
Cui Weihang (left, b. 1943) is village chief of
Cui, and Cui Gongli (b. 1969) is party sec-
retary of the Chinese Communist Party in
Cui (population 2,300), which is in Tuanli
Town, Jiaxiang County, a part of Jining City,
Shandong province. Monthly salary for the
village chief: no payment. Monthly salary for
the party secretary: 280 renminbi ($ 35, 26)
china-22/2007 [Tie.,ZMG (b. 1966)]
Zhang Mao Guo (b. 1966), employed by
the Ofce of Justice, is an ofcial teach-
er of Justice and Values to villagers in
Tianping Town, Daiyue District, Taian City,
Shandong province. Monthly salary: 1,500
renminbi ($ 186, 138)
china-19/2007 [Tai., GSW(b. 1987)]
Guo Shao Wei (b. 1987) is doorman at the
Taian Hi-Tech Zone and Economic Zone
Building, Taian City, Shandong province.
Monthly salary: 1,100 renminbi ($ 136, 101)
china-23/2007 [Tai., JJY (b. 1958)]
Jiang Ji Yuan (b. 1958) is chairman of the Art
and Literature Association of Taian, Taian
City in the Shandong province. Monthly sal-
ary: 4,000 renminbi ($ 496, 368).
b: a.-01 of 01 [Utr., JB (b. 1954) / WT (b. 1959)]
Acknowledgments
A book such as Bureaucratics exists only at the mercy of the voluntary cooperation of many others. There
was the hospitality of thousands of civil servants in eight countries who from2003 through 2007 allowed us
a peek into their work environment. We are especially grateful, however, to the approximately 250 ofcials
selected for this book, who made themselves available for at least 45 minutes, often even an hour and a half
and sometimes much longer to answer the writers questions and pose patiently for the photographer. With-
out them, this book simply would not exist.
Nor would we ever have succeeded without translators, xers, diplomats or simply nice people who as-
sisted us during at times exhausting travels or who used their gift of gab to provide us with access to key
gures in the bureaucracies. These people include:
India: Dr. Shaibal Gupta, Anil Ramdas, Alok Deo Singh;
Russia: Dinah Djidjoeva, Lubov Lavrova Nikolajevvna, Margreet ter Woerds, the press ofce of Tomsk prov-
ince;
Bolivia: Jaime Acua Martnez, Gonneke de Ridder;
Liberia: Bram Posthumus, J. Grody Dorbor:
France: Michle Desage, Danielle Chapuis, Emmanuel Duqueroix;
Yemen: Marc Mazairac, Thom Sprenger, Michiel van Campen, Noman, Nizar Salim Mohd Al-Mihdar;
United States of America: Erin Trieb, Nadja Masri, Wim Roefs and Eileen Waddell;
China: Yu Yongli, Zhang Yuan, Jing Lin, Li Sha, Li Yanwen.
These people opened numerous doors that would have remained shut without them. The translators/xers,
moreover, were pleasant company during the trip and excellent guides.
Dozens of people in The Netherlands and well beyond advised and assisted us from2003 through 2008.
To mention them all here would create too long a list, but we wouldnt want to leave unmentioned Hans
van Blommestein, Jan Donkers, Leo Erken, Harry van Gelder, Tim Kos, Martin Parr, Laura Starink and
Gerrit Jan Wolffensperger. Furthermore we owe enormous gratitude to the Dutch organizations that had
sufcient trust in us to cover part of our expenses: Stichting Democratie en Media in Amsterdam(Democ-
racy and Media Foundation), Stichting Fonds Anna Cornelis Weesp (Anna Cornelis Foundation), ncdo
Amsterdam (National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development) and sbku
Utrecht (Committee for the Promotion of Visual Arts).
Jan Banning / Will Tinnemans
This rst edition of Bureaucratics is limited to 1,500 casebound copies.
Photographs copyright 2008 by Jan Banning.
For inquiries about Jan Bannings exhibition Bureaucratics,
please consult his website: www.janbanning.nl
Foreword copyright 2008 by Martin Parr.
Introduction and Notes to the Plates copyright 2008 by Will Tinnemans.
Translations by Wim Roefs. Color management by Slice of Image, Marjan van Nus.
Copyright by Nazraeli Press LLC. www.nazraeli.com
3415 NE 32nd Place Portland, Oregon 97212 USA
Printed in China for Nazraeli Press. isbn 1-59005-232-7