Here are some key facts about corruption in Serbia and Albania
LONDON (TrustLaw) - Serbia and Albania are both hoping to become member states of the European Union, but corruption is regarded as a major obstacle to their accession.
Here are some key facts about corruption in Serbia and Albania:
SERBIA
Serbia is ranked 79 out of 178 countries in Transparency International’s 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index (first is highly clean, 178th is highly corrupt).
Serbians rank corruption as the third most important problem facing their country after unemployment and poverty.
9 percent of the adult population paid at least one bribe in the last 12 months. The average bribe paid was 165 euros ($225).
Around a third of bribes were paid to speed up a procedure, and 18 percent to secure better treatment, especially in public hospitals.
55 percent of bribes were paid in cash, and 34 percent in food and drink.
In 56 percent of cases, the citizen offered to pay a public official a bribe. In 20 percent of cases, the need to pay a bribe was made clear by an implicit request from an official.
ALBANIA
Albania is ranked 87 out of 178 in Transparency International’s 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Albanians rank corruption as the second most important problem facing their country after unemployment, ahead of poverty.
Albania has the lowest share of government spending on the judiciary in Europe, and judges’ salaries are 50 percent lower than those in neighbouring Kosovo.
19 percent of the adult population paid at least one bribe in the last 12 months. The average bribe paid was 43 euros ($58), and 99 percent of bribes were paid in cash.
70 percent of bribes were to receive better treatment from public officials, especially in public hospitals.
In 56 percent of cases, the need to pay a bribe was made clear by an implicit request from a public official. In 30 percent of cases, the citizen offered to pay an official a bribe.
Sources:
Transparency International - Corruption Perceptions Index 2010
EU Anti-Corruption Requirements: Measuring progress in Albania Kosovo, FYR Macedonia and Turkey
U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime - Corruption in the western Balkans: Bribery as experienced by the population
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