Transparency and Anti-Corruption in Bulgaria

1
Transparency and Anti-Corruption in Bulgaria

• Mr. Stefan Sofianski, Mayor of Sofia,
• Former Prime-Minister of Bulgaria
• Presentation at MADAGASCAR GOVERNMENT LEARNING
  RETREAT
• Good Governance and Private Sector-led Growth
  for Sustainable Development
• Challenges and Perspectives
• Antananarivo June 13-15, 2003

2
Bulgarias Anti-Corruption Record

• The only European Union candidate country that
  improved substantially its TI Corruption
  Perception Rank in the past four years from
  66th place (1998) to 45th place (2002)
• Reduced sizably five out of seven corruption
  indicators in the period 1999 - 2003
• Steadily diminishing corruption pressure and
  practices
• Emerges as an anti-corruption leader in South
  East Europe

3
Rate of Corruption in Bulgaria
Source Coalition 2000
min0, max10
4
Four Important Factors in Anti-Corruption in
Bulgaria
Public Pressure
Political Will
Anti-Corruption
International Support
Public Private Partnership
5
Political Will Not an Easy Story

• Anti-corruption efforts started in 1997 and
  climbed to the top of public agenda after the
  year 2000
• Anti-Corruption came out as the single most
  important element in 2001 Parliamentary elections
  the public no longer tolerated corruption and
  perceived it as the most detremental factor to
  development
• Major reforms have been initiated since 2000. In
  2001 the Government in cooperation with the
  private sector and civil society has adopted a
  National Anti-Corruption Strategy and a detailed
  Anti-Corruption Program
• Next step - IMPLEMENTATION

6
International Support

• Bulgarias accession negotiations with the
  European Union have led to deep changes in the
  institutional and legal structures.
  Anti-corruption and related policies have been
  continuously under EU scrutiny and will stay on
  its radar screen in the future
• NATO entry requirements have brought substantial
  pressure on reforming the security sector and law
  enforcement institutions
• Bulgarias effective membership in a number of
  other international organizations (UN, OSCE, WTO,
  IMF, Council of Europe, etc.) has prompted
  additional action against corruption
• Donor institutions have been quick to react on
  Bulgarian requests for support in countering
  corruption

7
Public Private Partnership

• Coalition 2000 (http//www.anticorruption.bg) a
  groundbreaking Bulgarian anti-corruptionan
  initiative started in 1997 by a number of
  non-governmental organizations aimed at combating
  corruption through a process of cooperation among
  governmental institutions, NGOs, private
  businesses and individuals.
• The Coalition 2000 elements
• Anti-Corruption Action Plan a step by step
  guide for action adopted by all major
  stakeholders
• Annual Policy Forum stakeholder meeting to
  assess performance and give guidance for further
  action
• Annual Corruption Assessment Report the most
  comprehensive public-private policy document
  evaluating institutional, administrative and
  functional anti-corruption measures
• Corruption Monitoring System an indigenous
  system developed to catch corruption trends in
  the country

8
The Six Action Lines for Bulgarias Clean Future

• Creating a Favorable Institutional and Legal
  Environment for Curbing Corruption
• Reforming the Judicial System
• Curbing Corruption in the Economy
• Enhancing Civic Control in the Fight Against
  Corruption
• Changing Public Perceptions of Corruption
• International Cooperation

9
Creating a Favorable Institutional and Legal
Environment for Controlling Corruption

• Legislative reform extreme legislative burden,
  which still results in low quality laws
• Public administration reform initiated in 1998
  - 2000, still ongoing
• Establishing new institutions and offices with
  controlling and monitoring functions, and
  improving existing ones modern audit and
  control institutions have been established, still
  to improve their functioning
• Reform of the political party sphere several
  attempts but no definite results

10
Controlling Corruption in the Economy (1)

• Transparency and accountability in the
  privatization process the most corruption
  permeated sphere in the economy due to inherent
  conflicts of interest. Many reform efforts with
  low results. Fast is beautiful.
• Developing a transparent public procurement
  system. Limiting overall state involvement in the
  economy only gradual progress and problems
  still persist.
• Liberalizing the conditions for private business
  development large-scale reforms are over but
  some fine-tuning is further needed.
• Limiting corruption in financial and economic
  relations within the private sector the theme
  only just begins to surface in public debate.

11
Enhancing Civic Control in the Fight Against
Corruption

• Developing the institutional framework of civic
  control emerging stronger, especially after the
  initiation of Coalition 2000 process
• Involving professional associations and trade
  unions in the anti-corruption campaign
• Cooperation with the media in implementing the
  anti-corruption campaign some media have been
  allegedly involved in corrupt practices but a
  professional investigative community is emerging
• Cooperation with religious institutions to foster
  moral integrity and counteract corruption a
  long term investment that has to pay off

12
Number of Press Publications about Corruption
Source Coalition 2000
13
Changing Public Perceptions of Corruption

• Anti-corruption public awareness campaign (Clean
  Future) public acceptability of corruption has
  been lowered almost two times
• Public education campaign about the rights of
  citizens and obligations of the administration in
  the sphere of administrative services citizens
  appeals to administrative courts against
  administrative mistakes rose by more than 30 a
  year (2000 2002), though from a low basis
• Anti-corruption campaign within the system of
  public education at its various levels still a
  weak point though there are already curricula in
  anti-corruption

14
International Cooperation

• Cooperation with international organizations and
  integration structures
• International economic, financial, and trade
  institutions and organizations
• Regional organizations and initiatives
• Regional cooperation on a multilateral and
  bilateral basis
• Cooperation with government aid institutions on a
  bilateral basis