G.Ibadoglu: Reports of Reducing Corruption in Azerbaijan Not Serious

The level of corruption in Azerbaijan fell slightly, confirmed the Transparency International survey.

At the end of 2012 among 176 countries Azerbaijan ranked 139 - said in an interview with Objective TV the chairman of the Center for Civic Initiatives, Doctor of Economic Sciences Gubad Ibadoglu.

According to the survey, corruption has begun to decline in the public sector, but increased in the private, the media, and religious structures. However, monopolized private business is tied to government agencies, and NGOs and the media can not control it, because the growth of corruption in the business sector should be accompanied by growth in the public sector.

Another incredible contradiction is reducing the level of corruption in the country, with its growth on a global scale.

The state bodies of Azerbaijan stronger than ever control the budget revenue and expenditure (about 20 billion manats per year). If access to information on the budget is difficult, there is no accountability and transparency is at a low level, and the parliament does not really participate in the control of national wealth. Then, the government actively appropriates public money.

An example is the discussion of the May budget for last year. The parliament adopted a document in a matter of minutes, not even hearing the opinion of various groups of deputies.

By law, the highest-ranking government officials and members of their families are not eligible to do business. But look at their wealth - they also do not fill up a declaration of income and property, evading taxes. This means that they are engaged in shady business, causing economic harm to the country, said Ibadoglu. -17D-