Corruption remains the key problem in BiH

Transparency International BiH (TI BiH) presented results of Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2016, by which this agency every year ranks countries across the world as regards perceived level of corruption in the public sector. Bosnia and Herzegovina was ranked 39th, and on the scale 0 – 100, where 0 represents the highest level of perceived corruption, and 100 the lowest, BiH is 83rd, out of 176 countries included in the research.

Comparing the results in the last 5 years, with ranking 42 in 2012 and 2013, which was the highest in the given period, to 38 for 2015 and 2016, it is obvious that BiH has not made any progress.

BiH shares its position on CPI list with Albania, it is well below Croatia (mark 49 and the 55th place), Montenegro (mark 45 and the 64th place) and Serbia (mark 42 and the 72nd place). Below BiH are Macedonia with the worst scores in the region (the 90th place with mark 37) and Kosovo (mark 36 and the 95th place).

This year's CPI shows that more and more countries continue to decline, which indicate the need to take urgent measures against corruption, especially in the countries such as BiH, in which systemic corruption at the highest level of power leads to greater inequality in distribution of wealth and power, and the gap between political elites and citizens.

Srdjan Blagovcanin, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of TI BiH, emphasized that absence of progress of BiH on the CPI list is an indicator of the absence of progress in any reform process.

- It is entirely clear that, without progress in the combat against corruption, it is not possible to make progress in the economic field, to attract investments or reform the administration or judiciary. BiH continues to rapidly move on a very risky road, Blagovcanin said.

During the presentation, TI BiH pointed out that the key problem in BiH is extreme presence of political corruption, which requires solution at the political system level i.e. to reform the way in which political parties and bearers of public functions work, with a special priority being reform of judiciary that is facing not only attempts of political control but an increasing number of corruption affairs in its own circles.