An article in daily SME today points to an Ernst & Young report on perception of corruption, which showed Slovakia among the leaders of countries displaying a high level of tolerance to unethical commercial practices.
The report, compiled by the company Ipsos, notes that corruption is quite widespread in Slovakia with unethical conduct prevailing. Around 52% of Slovak managers are willing to employ unfair practices to win or keep an order, putting the country in third place in the world, notes Ernst & Young Slovensko senior manager Pavla Hladká.
The world average was around 29%, with 30% in Europe. Around 56 % of Slovak managers in the survey felt that corruption was strongly widespread in Slovakia.
Here’s one for the EU Mandarins – we now have a Ukrainian Centre with signs writ large that it was funded by the EU…….. but wait a minute ….. the centre only occupies a couple of rooms in this detached building, with car park, close to the town centre. The rest, according to my sources, is occupied by businesses with “connections”. So why is EU money being used to provide plush, town centre offices to “businesses”? Who gets the rent, if any, and is it being charged at the market rate?
Maybe, just maybe, it’s time for an EU watchdog, staffed by EU Nationals to keep a check on where the money is going. It’s quite obvious that attempts to employ honest Slovaks to oversee the use of funds has had the same results as the SETI programme!
Maybe not corruption but a telling tale of the incompetence of public figures adding to the problems of ordinary folk and businesses. Our Clown Mayor and his two deputies have all swanned off on their extended holidays but failed to delegate their powers to anyone – result: paperwork is piling up, building permissions, permits, council decisions – everything that needs these numbties monica and rubber stamp will have to sit in their in-trays for three weeks. Add that to the policy of not even considering any application for over a month and the subsequent snail pace processing of the most trivial matter and then they wonder why businesses are upping sticks, tourist numbers have declined and the population think the city is run by a troop of idiots.
Maybe we live in the same hood? My mayor is a corrupt clown and only when he tries to scrxw me over with some overpriced bs, he is quick.
Matteo – SVKs third city? Clown Mayor has no political connections and the only people who have benefited from his term are a bunch of his mates with questionable backgrounds….. and his family! A short rope and a long drop?
The E&Y report, while disturbing, lacks the detail of Annex 25, Slovakia, to the EU Report on Corruption – Ref: COM(2014)38final.
The figures and examples given, the sanctions imposed by the EU and the conclusion that BnM and Co have only made a half hearted attempt to rectify the situation are truly telling. I suppose Bobby’s not read it…… or has and is just ignoring it!
Glorious Leader demonstrated his grasp of reality when challenged about the level of corruption in Slovakia – ” Everybody has my phone number and I have had no calls about corruption”. The man who would be King obviously can’t read when everyone and the dog have been reporting for years about this topic or is there another reason for his denial that the problem exists and the lack of action by his successive Governments to tackle it? Meanwhile his school pal GP has quietly consigned well over 200 million Euros of dodgy deals to join the others “filed” under his inherited lumpy carpet.
Secret meetings with “businessmen” in seedy apartments, demands for palm greasing, dodgy dealings with Govt, contracts, – No, not more from Tom Nicholson’s book but testimony from an ongoing Czech corruption trial, even though the cast of characters sounds familiar.
How’s about some details JB? or have the phone calls been made?
Should be 96%. Mistype?
Now I read BnM and the Clowns have kicked out, not one, but two proposed pieces of legislation to protect those who blow the whistle on corruption. Where there is a will, there is a way – quite obviously, despite his pre-election promises, Glorious Leader has no will to try and tackle corruption. Mmmmm……. wonder why?
I then read that Gaspar the Ghost in his final statement before obscurity launched an attack on corruption, the judiciary and, for some unknown reason the press. The first two issues don’t seem to have disturbed his sleep during his two terms in office – maybe he’s changed his song sheet with Mr. Kiska waiting in the wings!
The first words spoken by the majority of petty non-jobs who’s sole role in life is to make starting, running or expanding a business as difficult and complicated as possible are ” And how much will you pay me?” – Not my words, but a comment made by a Czech businessman with over 20 years experience of trying to run businesses in Slovakia, made to me on Tuesday of this week. Yes, there’s no doubt that the big fish are dab hands at the brown envelope game but be under no illusion, the bottom feeders and plankton are at it to.
Funny I have been explaining this ~And how much will you pay me?” very Slowvak vertue for 12 years on local Websites ….and the Elephant eared and big nosed Plankton all were in total denial ….
Corruption in Slowvakia, us , not us it never happened ……?