ZAGREB, April 21 (Hina) - Corruption in Croatia is not more widespread than in other countries in transition although businessmen view it as the chief hurdle to good business, the Gallup organisation says in last year's public opinion
poll. Gallup, one of the world's leading public poll organisations, conducted its Croatian corruption poll, which included 500 businessmen, in Zagreb in the summer and autumn of 2000. Given the daily appearance of articles on corruption in the Croatian media, Gallup expected the participants in the poll to have had more experience with corruption, Robert Manchin, the organisation's vice president for Central and Eastern Europe, said presenting the report in Zagreb this week. Corruption is an invisible crime as only one in a hundred cases is reported, which is a consequence of mistrust in the police and the judiciary, according to Manchin. He maintains it is difficu
ZAGREB, April 21 (Hina) - Corruption in Croatia is not more
widespread than in other countries in transition although
businessmen view it as the chief hurdle to good business, the Gallup
organisation says in last year's public opinion poll.
Gallup, one of the world's leading public poll organisations,
conducted its Croatian corruption poll, which included 500
businessmen, in Zagreb in the summer and autumn of 2000.
Given the daily appearance of articles on corruption in the
Croatian media, Gallup expected the participants in the poll to
have had more experience with corruption, Robert Manchin, the
organisation's vice president for Central and Eastern Europe, said
presenting the report in Zagreb this week.
Corruption is an invisible crime as only one in a hundred cases is
reported, which is a consequence of mistrust in the police and the
judiciary, according to Manchin. He maintains it is difficult to
change such an attitude as even in Western countries the level of
trust in institutions decreases by the year.
According to Manchin, the main problem in Croatia is not the so-
called street corruption, for instance in the traffic police or in
the health sector, but in higher institutions.
According to Josip Kregar, chairman of a task force in charge of a
national corruption combating programme, the Gallup poll shows
that Croats see corruption as very widespread while condemning and
despising it at the same time.
The research cannot affect the prevention of corruption but can
sound the alarm bell in the government, Kregar believes.
Manchin said Croatia should become Gallup's base for the whole of
Europe. It established a branch in Zagreb in 1998 which became
operational in October 2000.
(hina) ha sb