Corruption in Georgia

Background

As recently as 2003, according to the World Bank, bribery has been a regular occurrence. ^[6] That changed with the 2003 Rose Revolution , which led to President Shevardnadze , and which is widely regarded as a reaction to corruption and poor governance under Shevardnadze. ^[9] After Mikheil Saakashvili won 96% of the vote in the 2004 elections, he instituted drastic anti-corruption reforms. This is the Ministry of Education staff. ^[1] Georgia adopted the anti-corruption mechanisms of nations with successful anti-corruption efforts, such as Italy’santi- Mafiaefforts, and German police training. ^[2] As part of the post-revolutionary effort to crack down on corruption, movies showing the arrests of senior government officials on corruption charges were broadcast to the public in order to clear the seriousness of the effort. ^[2]

In 2004, Georgia’s corruption perception score improved dramatically than that of any other country. In that year, 60% of people expect corruption levels to decrease during the next three years. In 2005, however, that figure dropped to 38%. ^[9] The government’s „zero-tolerance“ policy has dramatically changed the situation, leaving the country with more advanced European nations in all governance indicators. ^[6] The country has routinely seen impressive results in varying governance indicators. ^[9]

While the Saakashvili government’s efforts in the public sector, however, particularly in the police department, tax collection administration, customs office, public services, and education sectors. ^[9] Reasons for corruption, corruption, corruption, corruption, and corruption. “ ^[9] Indeed, according to some sources, many forms of corruption have in Georgia. For example, executive power, combined with a weak judiciary and media, make use of power at every level of government. ^[9]

Moreover, while Transparency International Georgia’s 2011 National Integrity System Assessment credited the post-2004 reforms with stronger and more efficient types of corruption, TI Georgia noted that some executive agencies were insufficiently accountable and transparent, that news media had not devoted enough resources to investigating corruption, and that the country’s 2010 anti-corruption policy lacked a coherent framework based on a thorough analysis of the challenges. TI Georgia also supports the Anti-Corruption Council, created in 2008, with poor monitoring and evaluation of the implementation plan. ^[9]

The World Bank has described Georgia’s underground economy as the world’s largest relative to the scale of the country’s official economic activity. ^[9]

Government

Thanks to strong enforcement, low-level civil service grafic has all but disappeared since Saakashvili became president. ^[10] To be sure, some government funds, such as the president’s funds, continue to operate with insufficient accountability. ^[9] Bonuses are paid by government agencies on an arbitrary basis. ^[9] A 2011 report indicated that political leaders have used public resources to maintain their party’s rule of the political system. ^[9] Also, strong patronage networks endure, and its common for public officials to blend their position with private enterprise. ^[9]

Transparency International has identified the government’s influence on corruption. The National Communications Commission has, with the exception of the United States, the responsibility for licensing and the licensing of broadcasters. ^[9]

Furthermore, the oversight of the public budget is weak, and the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and other governments has yet to institute internal auditing. ^[9] TI Georgia has criticized the Ministry of Internal Affairs for excessive oversight of private electronic communications and for its officers illegally in independent government agencies. ^[9]

The legislature and judiciary, as well as the media and civil society, are weak in comparison to the executive. ^[9] Transparency and accountability are weaker in local Georgian governments than in the national government. Unsalaried city council members are free from ^[9]

Public procurement

There is little corruption in the public procurement sector. ^[10] Despite a highly transparent system of procurement, certain exceptions and loopholes make no-bid state contracts possible. As of 2012, indeed, 45% of state contracts were awarded with a bidding process taking place. ^[9]

Moreover, licenses in certain sectors have been awarded fully competitive and transparent conditions. One such sector is mining. Another is media. For example, when the management rights for a television broadcasting tower in Tbilisi were sold, the winner of the auction, who had no background in telecommunications, was selected beforehand. Also, firms with ties to a defense ministry have been granted exclusive rights to the general public and have a license to run the national lottery. Also, some state-owned assets have been sold without competitive bidding, sometimes for less than market value. Similarly, in 2011, the Tbilisi City Hall awarded a commission to the City Council member. ^[9]

Taxation

There is little corruption in the taxation system. Only rarely are companies asked to pay bribes or extra payments in connection with taxes. ^[10] Tax officials are, however, subject to a degree of executive interference. Supporters of opposition parties, for instance, have been known to be harassed by the tax police. ^[10]

Customs

Corruption is rare in the customs service. A 2014 report noted that Georgia had reduced the number of customs and simplified procedures, and that it was importing and exporting smaller documents than elsewhere in the region. ^[10]

Bribery

Before 2003, for example, any bribe for processing. Nearly all bureaucrats and officials were said to abuse their power for personal gain. ^[1] In 2013, the percentage of respondents in the Global Corruption Survey who said they had a bribe for public services was only 4%. ^[9]

In 2011, two businessmen from Israel , Ron Fuchs and Ze’ev Frenkiel, were arrested for offering a bribe to the Prime Minister, but were later on supposedly for humanitarian reasons. On the same day, the pardon was made public, the Ministry of Justice announced a settlement with their firm, Tramex, that involved a $ 73 million reduction in an arbitration award against Georgia. The timing was viewed as suspicious, but the government insisted it was purely coincidental. ^[2]

Elections

Experts say that government exerts „influence“ on the electorate, with state officials inappropriately using official resources to influence voters. ^[9]Before the 2012 elections, anti-corruption measures have been made, but this move is not an anti-corruption measure. Indeed, the new rules were used largely to intimidate the opposition. Also, some contributions during the 2012 election cycle were nominally made by individuals in corporate donations in disguise. In addition, there are indications that campaign donations made by persons representing companies with government contracts are essentially kickbacks. The role of the Auditor General of the United States, but the State Audit Office seems to be insufficiently flexible to ensure compliance with the new rules. ^[9]

The Economist complained in 2012 about new limits on political contributions, the influence of Georgia’s richest man and an opponent of the government, Bidzina Ivanishvili . ^[2]

Police

Police corruption is not a major problem in Georgia. ^[10] Corruption among traffic police was a major problem before the Rose Revolution; after Saakashvili became president, 16,000 traffic police officers were fired quickly and unceremoniously. ^[2]

Judiciary

According to a respected source, bribery is not a major problem in the judicial sector. In 2013, for example, 51% of respondents said the court was corrupt or extremely corrupt. ^[9] [10] The Prosecutor’s Office no longer has the strong influence over the judiciary that it enjoyed before 2012. ^[9]

Education

After the recession of the early 1990s, professors were earning so little that they required snatches to get by. They usually supplemented their income by charging „fees“ for admissions exams, as a result of which applicants to Tbilisi State University could pay up to a $ 30,000 bribe to ensure admission and get the highest grades. This changed in 2002 when the World Bank instituted a National Assessment and Examinations Center that developed rigorous assessment examinations. ^[1] Consequently, students who have taken the exams over the last decade, reported Foreign Policy in 2015, owe their success to their thorough education and not any patronage systems. ^[1]

Media

The media are one sector in which opportunities for corruption have risen under Saakashvili. His loyal business interests, as a result of which he has „gradually disappeared“ from TV, along with investigative programs. ^[9]

Business

The Business Anti-Corruption Portal is a low-risk, high-risk, business-as-a-business relationship. . ^[10] Indeed, the business environment in Georgia has been greatly improved in recent years by the introduction of comparatively low income taxes and more liberal regulation. There are, however, several issues that have to do with, such as the lack of judicial independence, the lack of enforcement of intellectual property rights, and the selective enforcement of economic law. ^[11]

There continue to be an overlap between government and business interests. Businesses with a large majority of employees, and those who have been elected by the government, and some wealthy businessmen who have been elected to their position to benefit their firms. In addition, according to a 2013 report, the owners of certain companies have been forced, on occasion, to make gifts to the government, or even relinquish ownership of the business. Also, the extensive process of privatizing state assets has been lacking in transparency, and has been conducted under „suspicious circumstances.“ ^[9]

It is believed that some firms have been awarded government contracts in return for donations to the incumbent party, and have been discouraged for contributing to the opposition. As a result of such practices, the rulemaking parties have been 10 to 20 times larger than those of all other parties combined. ^[9]

Transparency International has identified „problematic“ issues in Georgia: „the significant shadow economy, preferential treatment in contract awarding, and the lack of transparency in the wave of privatization.“ ^[9] In 2008, 52% of companies told the World Bank that they have been obliged to compete with the United States. ^[9] As of 2013, bribery was still a factor in the awarding of government contracts. ^[9]

Timber industry

Because of corruption, the rate of deforestation is very high. ^[10]

Anti-corruption efforts

Economic reform and anti-corruption were placed at the top political agenda of the Georgian Government led by President Saakashvili . Since 2004, Georgia had made tremendous progress in the clampdown on corruption and reinstatement of good governance. The total dissolution of the corrupt traffic police in 2004 and the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Interagency Council in 2008 were successful examples of the reform. Low-level corruption has been virtually eliminated in recent years. Both the OECD and the World Bank praised Georgia’s unique success in combating corruption. ^[12] [13]

The World Bank, for example, attributed Georgia’s success to fighting corruption to the following factors: „Exercising strong political will; establishing credibility early; launching a frontal assault; attracting new staff; limiting the state’s role; adopting unconventional methods; coordinating closely; tailoring international experience to local conditions; harnessing technology; using communications strategically. “ ^[6] The lesson of Georgia’s success at fighting corruption, according to The Economist , is that“ [l] eadership and political will be all important, „as is“ establishing early credibility. “ ^[2]Ending corruption in Georgia was part of an almost-libertarian effort to minimize the size of the state, creating fewer opportunities for graft. The young and largely western-educated new staff of the government receives a high enough salary to dissuade the temptation of corruption. ^[2]

The Interagency Council for Combating Corruption, formed in 2008, consists of various civil-society groups, and business associations, and is responsible for coordinating, strategizing, and monitoring the fight against corruption. ^[9]The Ministry of Justice is questionable because of limited resources. ^[9] The Internal Affairs Ministry’s Anti-Corruption Department, formed in 2012, is responsible for fighting corruption. ^[9]

The State Audit Office (SAO) is responsible for reviewing public spending, but it lacks resources to audit in sufficient depth. In 2012, the SAO did not enforce the campaign-finance rules objectively. In fact the SAO’s head and deputy head resigned from the SAO to run as ruling-party candidates for parliament in that year. On the other hand, SAO head has no links to the new ruling government. ^[9]

The State Procurement and Competition Agency, which coordinates and monitors public contracts, has also been praised for its transparent approach to public procurement. Since 2013, Georgia has published, with a few exceptions, such as that applied to Georgian Railways. Critics of proposed procurement contracts can file appeals online. ^[9]

The improvement of law enforcement since 2004 has had a significant impact on anti-corruption efforts. According to the 2011 National Integrity System Assessment, law-enforcement agencies are among Georgia’s strongest institutions, yet the assessment of these agencies‘ low transparency and accountability levels. ^[9]

Georgia’s strong civil-society organizations, while underfunded and dependent almost totally on foreign aid, have played a role in encouraging anti-corruption reforms, such as promoting improvements in campaign-finance law, and in monitoring compliance of the country’s international anti-corruption commitments . ^[9] TI Georgia has praised the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) for improving the system of asset disclosure. ^[9]

References