BRATISLAVA, August 10, (WEBNOVINY) — Corruption is a widespread form of criminality in Slovakia. It exists in both public administration and the private sector. Corruption often opens doors to committing other criminal offices. It is frequently connected with abuse of power, violation of legal norms in decision-making processes, and in public procurement of goods and services in general interest. Corruption thus threatens and jeopardizes the state, economic, political and social development, the private sphere, as well as fundamental rights of private and corporate entities, according to the Strategic Plan for the Fight against Corruption, which the Cabinet approved at its session on Wednesday.
According to the latest complex survey that Transparency International Slovensko ordered from an external provider, the public perceives as the most corrupt areas the health care sector, followed by the state and public administration. Corruption is also negatively perceived in the sectors of courts, prosecution service, police, education, and self-governments.
The first step within the strategic plan to eliminate corruption is elaboration of an analysis to identify entities with a risk of corrupt behavior. The analysis is to be prepared by November of this year. Until February 2012, concrete legislative measures to eliminate shortcomings are to be drafted. According to the material, criteria and procedures of awarding licenses, concessions, permits, loans, subsidies and contributions are to be defined with the aim to ensure their objectivity until December 2012. An enforceable ethical code is to be put into practice by March 2013.
The material points out that eliminating corruption is not a task for just one election term. Only the cooperation of the government and the public sector may create sufficient pressure for a change and for adoption of systemic steps to reduce space for corruption, improve law enforceability, openness and transparency of processes, and thus reduce corruption in the country. It is therefore important for the public to know what to do about corruption and on positions of individual political parties to the issue.
SITA
