Financial Crime World

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Financial Corruption in Cyprus: A Major Concern Among Citizens

According to Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer, Cyprus has topped the list of EU countries where citizens believe corruption has increased over the past year.

The Survey Results

  • 65% of Cypriots surveyed thought that corruption had risen during the 12-month period, significantly higher than the EU average of 32%.
  • Four out of ten Cypriots used personal connections to access a public service over the past year.
  • While bribery rates remained relatively low at 7%, Transparency International expressed concern about the widespread use of personal connections to receive medical attention, education, and other public services.

Healthcare: A Hotspot for Corruption

  • Healthcare was identified as a hotspot for corruption, particularly during the pandemic when citizens urgently needed medical support and vaccinations.
  • Although only 6% of people reported paying a bribe for healthcare, 29% of EU residents used personal connections to access medical treatment.

“This is not just about bribery, but also about the unequal distribution of resources,” said Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair of Transparency International. “Using personal connections to access public services can be as damaging as paying bribes. Lives can be lost when connected individuals receive Covid-19 vaccines or medical treatment before those with more urgent needs.”

Perceptions of Corruption

  • Almost two-thirds of people in the EU believe government corruption is a problem in their country, and 44% think it’s not getting any better.
  • The widespread perception of impunity was cited as a major contributing factor, with only 21% of people believing that officials often face appropriate penalties for corruption.

Institutions with Corruption Problems

  • Citizens were divided about which institutions had the biggest corruption problems, with half of EU countries citing prime ministers and members of parliament as the most corrupt, while in the other half, business executives and bankers were seen as the most corrupt.
  • Trust in the police, local governments, and courts remained high across the region.

Business-Government Relationships

  • The report highlighted concerns about the cosy relationship between business and government, with 69% of Cypriots believing that the government is run on behalf of private interests.
  • This sentiment was echoed by citizens in Slovenia (70%) and Bulgaria (68%), while the EU average stood at 53%.

“When it is unclear what ties policymakers have to the business community, there is a risk that policies and regulations are made in favour of narrow private interests, rather than the common good,” Transparency International noted.

Citizens’ Views on Government

  • Less than a third of people (30%) think their government takes their views into account when making decisions.
  • Around half of EU citizens believe that bribes or connections are commonly used by businesses to secure profitable government contracts.