DUSHANBE, January 17, Asia-Plus — Corruption has a range of negative effects on Tajikistan’s development. Corruption inhibits economic growth, undermines the effectiveness of international assistance, weakens the population’s faith in the transition process, and exacerbates poverty.
In Tajikistan, the most widespread form of corruption is bribery followed by nepotism and regionalism, as well as machinations with state-owned properties, a study on corruption, “Corruption in Tajikistan: Public Opinion.”
According to the survey results, among other forms of corruption frequently mentioned in Tajikistan are the so-called corruption “barter” or service for service (illegal services are meant) and hushing up criminal cases. The most widespread form of bribery in Tajikistan is grafting civil servants, traffic police officers, presents to tax officers, etc
This sociological survey conducted by Tajikistan’s Center for Strategic Studies under support of the UNDP CO in Tajikistan was presented at the UNDP CO in Dushanbe today.
The study provides analytical foundation based on a group discussions and individual interviews across the country. It assesses the nature and extent of day-to-day corruption; the strengths and weaknesses of various government institutions charged with fighting graft; and proposes concrete solutions to overcome the problems
Abduvohid Shamolov, the head of the center’s department for national strategy and socioeconomic programs also one of managers of this project, noted that the survey exposes the reasons for corruption in 24 cities and districts of Tajikistan. The center experts carried out an opinion poll among specialists from different organizations and officials; the poll covered totaling 2,054 respondents that were divided in four main groups: civil servants; military servicemen; entrepreneurs and ordinary people.
Shamolov claimed that the fight against corruption in Tajikistan has a number of features. “Firstly, it is conducted under conditions of presence of a strong executive power, close interaction between political and economic elites, strong influence of politics on economics, as well as the situation when a day-to-day corruption has become a mass phenomenon,” he said.
