Georgia is considered to be at “moderate” risk of corruption in its defense and security sector, according to a survey by an anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI).
The finding represents an improvement for Georgia, which in previous similar survey released in February 2013 was placed among the countries whose defense sectors were at “high” risk of corruption.
TI’s new Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index measures levels of corruption risk in defence establishments of 72 countries.
Each country is placed in a band from A to F with the former representing “very low” risk and the latter “critical risk.”
Georgia, which in previous survey was placed in D band, moved to C band of “moderate” risk.
Other countries in the same C band are: Argentina; Austria; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czech Republic; France; Greece; Hungary; Italy; Lithuania; Mexico; Serbia; South Korea, and Spain.
According to the report the Georgian Ministry of Defense made “good progress” in implementing some of the measures outlined in its “comprehensive and thorough anti-corruption plan” published in April, 2014.
The report says that the MoD has become “more transparent” towards civil society, and legislative amendments allowed for greater detail on the defence budget to be publicly released. It also says that the armed forces have begun to use “objective job descriptions and promotion boards in their hiring and promotion procedures.”
In the index Georgia scored higher in the area of “personnel”, where the survey estimated risk of corruption as “low”.
“However, there is also evidence of lessening momentum, evidenced by the delay in important reforms,” reads the report.
While noting “major advances” in MoD procurement transparency by dramatically increasing the number of non-confidential tenders, the report also says that it remains “highest risk” area for corruption.
According to report the parliamentary committee for defence and security has become “more active in its scrutiny of defence spending and policies”. It, however, also says that lack of “robust parliamentary oversight” still remains a challenge.
It also says that although MoD has taken some actions to encourage whistleblowing, “relevant regulations protecting whistle-blowers have not yet been introduced.”
“This is a significant gap. We encourage the MoD to build on the steps already taken and introduce robust whistle-blower protection as a matter of priority,” reads the report.
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