ZAGREB/WASHINGTON, April 12 (Hina) - The spread and the negative impact of corruption on enterprises in the countries in transition in Europe and Central Asia is decreasing, according to a report on this matter which the World Bank
issued last Wednesday.
ZAGREB/WASHINGTON, April 12 (Hina) - The spread and the negative
impact of corruption on enterprises in the countries in transition in
Europe and Central Asia is decreasing, according to a report on this
matter which the World Bank issued last Wednesday.#L#
The report entitled "Influence of Corruption on Business in Transition
Countries on the Decrease" analysed corruption trends in the
interactions between businesses and governments in 26 countries in the
said regions from 1999 to 2002. More than 6,500 companies have been
covered by the survey.
The paper shows that "the corruption is on the fall in many countries,
regardless of whether it was measured in incidence rate of bribes,
costs of bribe or the degree to which it presents an obstacle to
business activities".
One of the authors of the report, Cheryl Gray, was quoted as saying
that "for the first time since the beginning of transition, the report
brings good news."
According to the report, "in 2002, in Croatia, the corruption as an
impediment to business was significantly less present, as opposed to
1999". Therefore, Croatian managers are becoming more and more
optimistic.
However, corruption in south-eastern European countries, namely in
Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia and Romania,
"remains a rather big problem, as opposed to the majority of
transition countries in Central Europe and the Baltic Region".
(Hina) ms