CORRUPTION WENT UP IN ARMENIA

Lragir.am
27 July 06

The experts of the World Bank gave a rather interesting evaluation
of the state of corruption in Armenia, publishing the third report
of the World Bank on fight against corruption in the former Soviet
Union. The news agency ARKA reports that according to this report the
level of corruption in Armenia exceeded that of 2002. According to
the experts of the World Bank, the Armenian companies went on giving
bribes with the same rate as in 2002.

The World Bank reports a higher level of corruption especially in
tax agencies, customs offices and courts of law, although according
to the outcome of the poll these cases were extremely low in 2002.

The authors of the report of the World Bank say bribery in law making
is also corruption, when the rules of the game are basically and
constantly distorted for the benefit of the privileged minority. The
World Bank experts say the state of corruption in Armenia became
even worse.

The World Bank report points to the increase of the level of corruption
in tax administration against the former "low level".

The World Bank experts report that although an anti-corruption strategy
was worked out in 2003 in Armenia, and in 2004 an anti-corruption
council was set up in 2004 led by the prime minister, the survey
conducted in 2005 shows that the level of corruption in Armenia went
higher against 2002.