In the ranking of the most corrupt countries of the world. About how they are trying to deal with corruption in Ecuador, The New Times asked the Minister of Social Development of Ecuador Natalia
According to the last report by Transparency International, Ecuador occupies the 154th (out of 180) rating. Is the situation changing somehow?
We must always understand how the ratings are compiled. This does not mean that the TRANSPARENCY report is compiled incorrectly, but far from real indicators of corruption are measured, but only its perception of people surveyed. But this is not even the most important thing. The fact is that when compiling the rating, data are used two or three years ago. It turns out that when assigning a rating to Ecuador in 2007, the situation with corruption in the country in 2005 is actually evaluated. Of course, Ecuador has very big problems. But the new government, which replaced the former last year, took a number of tough and specific steps to combat corruption, but this, unfortunately, will be recorded by Transparency International only after 2-3 years, which is associated with the peculiarities of the compilation of this rating.
What specific steps are we talking about?
Firstly, at the legislative level we have introduced a new electronic monitoring system for all acquisitions and public procurement, carried out by any of the state bodies. Now each transaction, even for several dollars, carried out by the Ministry, the State Agency or the Police Plot, is displayed in this system in online mode. Any resident of Ecuador has the opportunity to check at any time of the day how and what the money was spent on, for example, his district utilities. Suppose that when the large batch of computers, a company won by any ministry, the company was won by a company that, with a high degree of probability, used the widespread practice of “kickbacks” to officials. The online system has made the most difficult procedure of “kickbacks”, since during the tender, the amounts proposed by absolutely all companies participating in the competition are displayed here, but besides this, and all transactions, to the last cent, carried out between the ministry and the companionate person. No papers, constant online revolution of this system and, I repeat, absolutely free access to the portal for any person, even for you, a Russian journalist.
But this system allows public control only over public procurement. Are there any mechanisms for monitoring the distribution of budget funds?
Two months ago, we introduced another electronic system aimed at monitoring the distribution of all budget funds of Ecuador. The goal is simple - the reduction of political lobbying is nullified. For example, earlier, when various city administrations claimed the money of the Ministry of Finance, corruption often arose, since it was beneficial for officials to get unnecessary state reasons under the guise of financial assistance. Now this procedure works in a completely different way. The new electronic system requires the preparation of open applications for financial assistance. Say, in the case of city administrations, officials will have to draw up an open application for additional funds for state financing for specific purposes. All these applications are in the public domain, and anyone can check which of the applications was satisfied, how much was allocated, how many tranches and where it was translated. All stages - the preparation of applications, their selection, the allocation of public funds, the implementation of transfers between any state institutions - are absolutely open and available for viewing to a journalist, a representative of a public organization and in general any citizen.
And how quickly this system can give a result?
The introduction of these two electronic systems we tried to close as much as possible to solving the problem of corruption. Of course, this is very difficult to do, especially when society is saturated through it. We must go to schools and universities and on the fingers to explain to young people why corruption is unprofitable. But in order to change something at the superstructure level, absolutely specific practical changes are needed at the household level. Systems for monitoring public procurement and distribution of budgetary funds pursue a simple and concrete goal: to provide people with information about what are spent on specific officials in a particular department of budget money, and therefore their taxes.
Corruption is beneficial to the elite. Is she ready for such changes?
Recently, we initiated several high -profile criminal cases against officials who received bribes from the largest state oil company Petroecuador for lobbying for its interests and “providing assistance” upon receipt of certain contracts. There were no similar precedents in Ecuador, since this company is a giant and no one has ever dared to touch it. But now, even at the highest level, there is a clear understanding that the fight against corruption began not only in words. It was extremely difficult. This required a change in the previous government and coming to power of completely new people.
The last question is not in the subject, but ... Is it true that the Ecuador amended the country's constitution about the right of a woman to sexual happiness?
Yes, in May, the representative of the Constituent Assembly of Ecuador from the ruling party, Maria, proposed to introduce such an amendment to the Constitution. In the case of its adoption, Ecuadorians will receive the right to make independent decisions when and with whom they can receive sexual pleasure. The bill caused sharp criticism from the opposition. Her leader Leonardo Vitero called "an attempt to legitimize an orgasm at the state level." In his opinion, the proposal looks quite ridiculous, as it affects an intimate topic that concerns personal life and cannot be guaranteed by law.
