Curruption A Way Of Life In Bulgaria

It doesn’t paint a pretty picture and to overturn corruption there needs to be a revolution and war. Diplomacy will never end this problem, as this is the heart of the problem. It is a struggle just to try to put a lid on corruption, it’s everywhere, but Bulgarians live with this around them, it is normal and part of how Bulgaria has become.

The judiciary is perceived to be the institution in Bulgaria most affected by corruption, according to Transparency International’s annual Global Corruption Barometer, released on June 3 2009.

In second place was Parliament, followed by other public institutions.

According to the survey, only five per cent of Bulgarians admitted to having paid a bribe in 2008.

Overall, the survey found that more than half of those polled in all countries believed that the private sector used bribes to influence public policy, laws and regulations.

The survey found that half of respondents expressed a willingness to pay a premium to buy from corruption-free companies. However, this was not the case in Bulgaria.

"These results show a public sobered by a financial crisis precipitated by weak regulations and a lack of corporate accountability," said Transparency International chairperson Huguette Labelle.

"But we also see that the public is willing to actively support clean business. What is needed now is bold action by companies to continue strengthening their policies and practices, and to report more transparently on finances and interactions with government."

The Barometer, with more than 73 000 respondents drawn from 69 countries and territories around the world, also found the poor to be disproportionately burdened by bribe demands. And it found that government efforts to combat corruption are generally perceived as ineffective, in addition to high levels of perceived corruption in political parties, parliaments and the civil service.

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