Harsher action against corruption
ExpiredHARSHER ACTION AGAINST CORRUPTION
COMMENTS
Rodoljub Sabic, Information Commissioner
December 9, the International Anti-Corruption Day, reminded us that it has been a while since the Serbian Parliament adopted the National Anti-Corruption Strategy. It also reminded us that the year that followed was not enough to pass the Action Plan necessary for the realisation of the Strategy. Serbia got a number of normative acts of anti-corruption nature, ratified a number of international documents, joined international anti-corruption initiatives (GRECO, PACO, etc.). Many laws have been amended. There was some spectacular police action, which, with the help of courts, would have been even more effective. However, it is evident that there are not enough reasons for satisfaction. Slovenia and Slovakia for example, did not see as many as police interventions. Their parliaments did not adopt as many documents as Serbian Parliament did. Slovenia did not even adopt the famous UN Anti-Corruption Convention. However, these countries take much higher place on the world ranking lists when it comes to fighting corruption. Is it because we were just so when it came to the anti-corruption role of the public? It is obvious that these countries, while establishing the transparency of government work and public finances and enabling free access to the information concerning public resources were also building efficient preventive anti-corruption mechanisms. To the less successful ones they have offered a “recipe” that definitely needs to be tried out.
