Liberia, bureaucracy, 2006. Liberia-04/2006 [Mon., AD (b. 1940)]. Major Adolph Dalaney (b. 1940) works in the Reconstruction Room of the Traffic Police at the Liberia National Police Headquarters in the capital Monrovia. Monthly salary: barely 1,000 Liberian dollars (US$ 18, euro 17). Traffic accident victims at times are willing to pay a little extra if Dalaney"s department quickly draws up a favorable report to present to a judge.

Liberia, bureaucracy, 2006. Liberia-29/2006 [Car., ADT (b. 1946)]. Alfred D. Tartea (b. 1946) is administrative assistant and acting superintendent (highest civil servant) of Careysburg district, Montserrado County. Monthly salary: 750 Liberian dollars (US $ 13, euro 12.50).

Liberia, bureaucracy, 2006. Henry Gray (1940), acting commissioner for Gbaepo district, Kanweaken, River Gee County. During the Civil War, the office was completely looted and destroyed: only one wall remained. Gray has 11 personnel, of whom only 4 are paid. The rest are volunteers. He has no budget and over two years salary owing. Yesterday, he went to the capital Fishtown to collect last two months salary, two times 975 Liberian dollars (2x US$ 17, 2x euro 16). All he got was 600 dollars (US$ 11, euro 10). Gray is father to 34 children (sic), 13 of them depending, and has 18 grandchildren.

Bolivia, bureaucracy (police), 2005. Marlene Abigahit Choque (1982), detective at the the Homicide Department of the Potosi police. The department has only broken typewriters, no computer, no copy machine, not even telephone. It shares a car with the Vice Squad: "If there is no petrol in the car, we have to buy it from our own money. If the car is gone, we take the bus. We have to pay the tickets ourselves." The head on the cupboard to the right is used to make witnesses of murder cases show where the bullets went in or out.Monthly salary: 920 bolivianos (euro 102, US$ 114).

Bolivia, bureaucracy (police), 2005. Josué Galarza Mendez (1969) is police constable in Betanzos, Potosi department. The police post has 5 men, among other things responsible for safety on the main road from Potosi to Sucre. And they try to solve thefts and burglaries. The bureau has one motorbike. The typewriter is Mendez’s private property. In emergencies, he uses his own mobile phone. Policemen have only truncheons for weapon. Whoever has a gun, has paid that himself. His monthly salary: 977 bolivianos ( euro 109, US$ 122).

Bolivia, bureaucracy (police), Potosi, 2005. Bolivia-08/2005 [Tin., CAVC (b. 1950)]. Constantino Aya Viri Castro (b. 1950), previously a construction worker, is a police officer third class for the municipality of Tinguipaya, Tomás Frías province. The police station does not have a phone, car or typewriter. Monthly salary: 800 bolivianos ( euro 189, US$ 100).

Bolivia, bureaucracy (c) Potosi, 2005. Bolivia-22/2005 [Pot., DRC (b. 1972)]. David Ruiz Doro (b. 1972) is chief of urban and environmental projects at the Department of Public Works’ Technical Division of the municipality Potosí, the capital of the department by the same name. Monthly salary: 2,400 bolivianos (euro 267, US$ 299).

India, bureaucracy, Bihar, 2003. India-01/2003 [Man., RY (b. 1970)]. Ram Prabodh Yadav (b. 1970) is sub-inspector (deputy inspector) of police in Maner Block, Patna district, State of Bihar. Monthly salary: 10,000 rupees ($ 220, 200 euro). Rp Yadav (b. 1970) is sub-inspector van politie in Maner Block, Patna district, State of Bihar. Maandsalaris: 10,000 rupees (euro 200, US$ 220).

India, Bihar, Bureaucracy, 2003. India-28/2003 [Mak, OP (1963)]. Om Prakash (1963) is Block Development Officer (BDO) in Makhdumpur Block (200.000 inhabitants), district Jahanabad, Bihar. Prakash has 45 subordinates and is responsable for public order and the development of his block. As the highest civil servant in Makhdumpur, he has a towel on his chair. The plate behind him contains the names of his predecessors. Monthly salary: 12,000 rupees (euro 240, US$ 263).

India, bureaucracy, Bihar, 2003. 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 efficiency in agriculture. Monthly salary: 9,100 rupees ( euro 181, US$ 199).

China, bureaucracy, Shandong, 2005. 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 secretary 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 (US$ 35, 26 euro).

Yemen, bureaucracy, 2006. Yemen-28/2006 [Shi., MHA (b. 1962)]. Mohammed Hamid Azein (b. 1962) collects the monthly water bills in the district of Shibam, Al-Mahwit Governorate. Monthly salary: 21,600 rial (US$ 121, euro 83), but he had not received a salary for five months.

Yemen, bureaucracy, 2006. Yemen-35/2006 [AIM., AAN (b. 1982)]. Alham Abdulwaze Nuzeli (b. 1982) works at the regional office of the Ministry of Tithing and Alms in the city of Al-Mahwit, Al-Mahwit governorate. Monthly salary: 12,000 rial (US$ 67, euro 46). Behind her a portrait of president Saleh of Yemen.

France, bureaucracy, Auvergne, 2006. 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-Dome department, Auvergne region. Monthly salary: euro 2,200 (US$ 2,893).

USA, bureaucracy, Texas, 2007. USA-11/2007 [Ozo., SF (b. 1961)]. Shane Fenton (b. 1961) is sheriff of Crockett County (about 3000 inhabitants), Texas, and based in Ozona, the county seat. Monthly salary: US$ 3,166 (euro 2,356).

USA, bureaucracy, Texas, 2007. USA-18/2007 [Pal., RF (b. 1963)]. Rudy Flores (b. 1963) is one the 118 Texas Rangers state law enforcement officers, who cover 254 counties between them. He is based in Palestine, Anderson County, Texas. He is responsible for three counties. Monthly salary: US$ 5,000 (euro 3,720).

Russia, bureaucracy, Siberia, province Tomsk, 2004. Russia-19/2004 [Tom., MNB (b. 1962)]. Marina Nikolayevna Berezina (b. 1962), a former singer and choir director, is now the secretary to the head of the financial department of Tomsk province"s Facility Services. She does not want to reveal her monthly salary.