Transparency International Slovensko (TIS) released a report on July 9 in which it named the railway company Železničná Spoločnosť Slovensko (ŽSK) as the most transparent state-owned firm, the TASR newswire reported.
"Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS) also showed very good results, meeting around two thirds of our requirements," stated TIS director Gabriel Šípoš, as quoted by TASR. The assessment criteria included the companies' willingness to provide information about their operation and financial management. Two in three state-owned companies did not reply to the request for information sent by TIS even though TIS said they are obliged by law to disclose the requested information.
Two-thirds of the companies failed to provide TIS with information about salaries of members of their management or their CVs, TASR wrote, adding that half of the companies did not disclose details on their contracts for cleaning services, something requested by TIS based on alleged cases of state-owned companies paying exaggerated sums for these kinds of services, according to TASR.
"Basically, we don't know how state money is handled because the companies refuse to undergo an inspection," stated Šípoš, as quoted by TASR. TIS reported that ethics may be the biggest problem as three in four companies lacked a Code of Conduct, as well as ways to protect their employees if they report corruption.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
