Measures to protect the state budget from theft were discussed at the Accounts Chamber site

The Accounts Chamber advocates the early exclusion of offshore companies from the scope of government procurement, since it is difficult to establish effective control over this area. This was stated by the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber, Tatyana Golikova, within the framework of the 4th Eurasian Anti-Corruption Forum, which opened yesterday at the site of the control agency. Other forum participants spoke about the creation in Russia of its own index for measuring corruption - MONCOR - and called for “not reducing” the study of the problem to the study of negative experience.

According to Tatyana Golikova, the areas of public procurement and state property management are most exposed to corruption risks.
Photo: Dmitry Lekai, Kommersant / buy photo

Opening the forum, Tatyana Golikova spoke about the experience of the Accounts Chamber in combating corruption. According to her, corruption risks can arise “at all stages of the budget process,” especially the contract system in the field of public procurement and the sphere of state property management. For example, “a check of the effectiveness of the privatization of federal property in 2010–2014” showed that budget revenues from the sale of stakes amounted to only 21% of the planned volume.” Ms. Golikova also noted that “recently” the Accounts Chamber analyzed 280 contracts totaling 1.3 trillion rubles. identified 50 transactions involving the transfer of budget funds to offshore organizations as part of government procurement in the amount of more than 272.4 billion rubles. Now the department, together with Rosfinmonitoring, is “forming a register of beneficial owners of offshore organizations that receive budget funds in various forms” and “considers it appropriate” to legally exclude offshore companies from the scope of public procurement.

Director of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation Talia Khabrieva spoke about the new corruption monitoring system - MONCOR, which, unlike existing methods, including the Transparency International index, is “focused on identifying systemic connections between corruption and other social phenomena.” According to Ms. Khabrieva, to increase the effectiveness of the fight against corruption, “it is necessary to overcome some stereotypes.” For example, until now, corruption in the mass consciousness meant “bribery and bribery,” but “in fact, it is a much broader antisocial phenomenon.” It is also incorrect, according to her, to connect corruption “with the socio-economic development of the country,” since both in developed countries and in economically prosperous regions of the Russian Federation there are also cases of high-profile corruption scandals. In addition, Ms. Khabrieva noted, the study of corruption “reduces to the study of negative practices.” At the same time, positive practice “remains behind the scenes,” and “incentive incentive measures” are not sufficiently enshrined in the legislation.

Valentin Mikhailov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Department, also spoke about forming a clear attitude towards corruption. According to him, citizens “at the theoretical level” agree that corruption should be treated “intolerantly.” “But what will be the attitude towards a neighbor or colleague who reports facts of corruption? - asked Mr. Mikhailov. - Yesterday I was at a student conference on combating corruption, and the word “snitch” was heard there. Therefore, it is very important to understand what we want, whether we need to encourage those who report corruption or not.”

The head of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, Irina Yarovaya, also said that in the fight against corruption it is necessary to place “an emphasis on education and upbringing.” And the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation, in her opinion, “need to be examined for international corruption.” According to Irina Yarovaya, this is an unacceptable measure that contradicts the “national interests” of Russia and “disavows the norms of international law.”

Natalia Korchenkova

Tatyana Golikova spoke about corruption risks