THE PERCEPTION of corruption in Slovakia has decreased according to the latest poll carried out by the watchdog organization Transparency International.
While in 2005 Slovakia’s corruption perception index (CPI) was 4.3 on a scale of 0-10 (where 10 is the highest mark, representing a corruption free society), in the 2006 Transparency poll the country’s CPI improved to 4.7, ranking Slovakia 49th among the 163 states evaluated.
“The achieved status may please for a moment but we have to create conditions for keeping it as well,” said Transparency International Slovakia’s president Emília Sičáková-Beblavá.
Transparency warns that to maintain the positive trend Slovakia needs program documents that will secure the continuation of anti-corruption policies. The new government of Robert Fico, however, has not drawn any clear anti-corruption plans.
Government representatives argued, however, that despite missing a specific plan, the new cabinet carries out transparent policies that secure the continuation of anti-corruption measures.
“Rather than program documents, real steps are required for the fight against corruption. This government carries out such steps, for instance by nominating clean and independent people into significant economic posts,” said PM Robert Fico’s spokeswoman Silvia Glendová.
