Level of fiscal corruption has decreased slightly during past three years, study

The level of corruption in the fiscal system has been slightly reduced during the past three years, shows a study carried out by Transparency International (TI) – Moldova as part of the Monitoring the Threshold Country Program Implementation in the Fiscal System Project, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the study, the share of businesspeople who consider that the state does not interfere in business but helps the entrepreneurs increased from 24% in 2004 to 25.6% in 2007 and 35.8% in 2008. The working time that the businessmen devote to solving problems with employees of state institutions fell from 22.4% in 2004 to 21% in 2007 and 17.3% in 2008. The estimated volume of bribes paid to employees of fiscal institutions for different services dropped from 69 million lei in 2004 to 36 million lei in 2007 and 26 million lei in 2008. The share of bribes paid directly to the fiscal inspector in the volume of fines paid for violations decreased from 39.7% (2004) to 36% (2007) and 27.3% (2008). The number of entrepreneurs who said that the fiscal inspectors record all the violations in accordance with the law rose from 41.2% (2004) to 60.5% (2007) and 66% (2008). “These positive trends show that that progress is made slowly but steadily,” considers Lilia Carashchuc, executive director of TI – Moldova. TI – Moldova has conducted such researches since 1999. The study was carried out as part of the Strengthening Civil Society Monitoring Capacity in Moldova Program implemented by the Academy for Educational Development with the technical assistance of the International Research and Exchanges Board. The program is financed by the Millennium Challenge Corporation and managed by the United State Agency for International Development as part of the Threshold Country Program for Moldova.