1. SPREAD AND DYNAMICS OF CORRUPTION IN BULGARIA – THE BUSINESS SECTOR (JANUARY 2007)
Ruslan Stefanov, Coordinator
Economic Program, Center for the Study of Democracy

2. Corruption in Bulgaria – Overview on the Business Sector
Corruption acceptability and susceptibility among the business
Actual corrupt practices
Overall indexes
Corrupt practices in selected administrative services
Attitudes towards corruption
Overall index
Corruption among selected professional groups
Corruption-related expectations
Attitudes towards the effectiveness of anti-corruption policies
Conclusions

3. Acceptability and susceptibility to corruption (min=0, max=10)
Source: Vitosha Research
Base: All respondents

4. Rate of actual corruption (min=0, max=10)
Source: Vitosha Research
Base: All respondents

5. Relative share of the companies that have paid informally for the following services (%)
Source: Vitosha Research
Base: All respondents

6. Spread of corruption (min=0 max=10)
Source: Vitosha Research
Base: All respondents

7. Spread of corruption by occupational group (%)
“ Nearly all and most are involved in corruption”
Nov 2003
April 2004
January 2007
Customs officers
80,3
81,1
67,8
Politicians, political party leaders
62,7
54,4
58,3
MPs
58,7
51,4
57,0
Mayors and councilors
54,9
47,1
53,3
Ministers
55,6
45,4
52,3
Prosecutors 52
51,0
51,5
Judges
53,4
52,7
51,3
Police officers
62,5
56,0
50,8
Tax officials
62,9
51,1
Investigators
46,8
44,0
47,5
Doctors
50,2
45,0
Municipal officials
43,5

8. Corruption-related expectations (min=0 max=10)
Source: Vitosha Research
Base: All respondents

9. Assessments of the impact of government efforts to curb corruption*
Source: Vitosha Research
* Relative share of those who answered, “The Government does nothing”

10. Conclusions – what do indexes show?
Actual corruption in the business – administration relations declines in th beginning of Business susceptibility to corruption also falls.
Business attitudes towards the spread of corruption remain high though their composition/addressee changes
The spread of corruption among the administration falls (customs, police, tax officials)
Corruption rises/stays flat among the political elite (politicians, MPs, prosecutors)
Corruption-related expectations stay at bay but the business doubts the government’s ability to tackle corruption, particularly political corruption

11. Conclusions – what do indexes suggest?
It is possible that the current decline in actual corruption be temporary/seasonal – due to one-off factors. Acceptability of corruption remains high and rising among the business
Now is the time for a breakthrough in good governance – measures should be targeted towards the higher political level and should encompass more complex schemes of corruption not just bribery (conflicts of interest, abuse of power, etc.)
What gets measured – gets done: the System of Indicators is a powerful too for self-discipline, which can be used as a pilot model for an EU wide instrument.

12. Upcoming CSD reports Corruption assessment report 2007 – April 2007
Corruption in public procurement in Bulgaria: policy assessment – April 2007
Corruption in the Bulgarian Healthcare