Most reports for corruption in the employment processes

Banja Luka, February 21, 2011 — during 2010, Advocacy and Legal Advice Center TI BiH received 832 calls via toll- free line for reporting of corruption (0800 55555), which is available for citizens every workday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and also by mail or e-mail.

Comparing different sectors, it is visible that the most corruption reports relate to hiring and employment issues (15%), education (10%), property and legal relations (9%), judiciary (8%) and restriction of the right to access information.

When it comes to corruption in hiring and employment, most of the reports related to public institutions employment, where citizens are mostly reporting irregularly conducted vacancies for public officers’ positions on all levels of government and also irregularly conducted procedures of appointments for different functions.

Corruption in the employment field represents problem in education sector, as well, especially when it comes to higher education institutions, which are leading in the number of corruption reports in comparison with other levels of education. The fact that education, along with judiciary, is on the top of the list by numbers of corruption reports is particularly concerning, especially considering the fact that the number of corruption reports is constantly increasing.

Many of calls and corruption reports were relating to violation of Law on freedom to access information by public institution, where requests and citizens’ reports are mostly ignored and “silence of administration” occurs.

Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina took action in 134 cases, and acted towards competent institution on all levels in BiH. However, as TI BiH has repeatedly warned, the prosecution of corruption cases is at very unsatisfactory level in BiH, where corruption acts take only a very small percentage out of the total number of cases, and slow work of administration is additional burden,along with the tendency of ignoring i.e.verdicts’ contempt, even by state institutions. That is the main reason why huge number of reports to TI BiH was relating to judiciary institutions, where citizens are mostly complain about the long procedures, negligence of judiciary representatives and denial of access to information.

Still, it is encouraging that citizens are more willing and ready to report corruption and that there is growing number of whistleblowers, i.e. persons who report irregularities in institutions they are working for. TI BiH is hoping that such practice will continue in the future  and appeals to everyone who was witness or victim of corruption to report such cases to institutions or via toll-free line 0800 55555. Active involvement of citizens in this field is a basic prerequisite for any results.