A STUDY that was recently published by the World Bank suggested that the launch of tax reforms in Slovakia and, in particular, the introduction of the 19-percent flat tax, have lowered the level of bribery and corruption in Slovakia, Pravda daily reported.
The study is based on a survey carried out in 2005 on companies in 26 European and Asian countries. On average, 13 percent of the companies in these countries give bribes to avoid paying at least part of their taxes. Slovakia was shown to be far below the average figure, with only 3 percent of companies involved in such practices.
In the area of corruption as a whole, Slovakia and Georgia are deemed to have made the most progress since 2002. World Bank representative in Slovakia Ingrid Brocková says this is mainly thanks
to new tax legislation, which has contributed to a
more transparent business environment.