After the revolution, it turned out that any sphere of the state system that has been inspected is infected with corruption. The explanation to this is simple: if the state official is to decide the fate of millions of drams and sometimes even of millions of dollars the temptation to “deal with” these millions is huge. The ways of “dealing” are also known, it does not have to be a simple bribing, it can be, for example, a “business” of affiliated persons, which, however, “stems from” the responsibilities of the official. This is also possible to reveal if there is a “political will”. However, it is important not to limit this “will” to the activities of the representatives of the former criminal regime.
Georgia also has started similar processes recently, and the “target” is the former Prime Minister Kvirikashvili. This is in Georgia, which is known as the pioneer in the fight against corruption in the region. Political forces and commentators again express doubts: they might have embezzled, but is not the “pursuit” of former and not current officials conditioned by political motives?
They say corruption was eliminated in certain levels in Georgia after Saakashvili came to power. Soviet paunchy inspectors were replaced with young and fit road inspectors who did not actually take bribes in the initial period. However, within 10 years they became paunchy too and started taking bribes too. Why? Let us seriously analyze the problem so that the positive processes that have started among us become irreversible.
“If you think we can hire decent, angellike people, you are mistaken”, says the Head of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia, and he is absolutely right. Dismissing hundreds of corrupt tax inspectors and their supervisors and hiring hundreds of young inspectors instead does not guarantee that the latter will be better. Raising the salary? Even if our scarce state budget gives that opportunity, there is no guarantee that it is a solution either. If the inspector receives not 200, but 400 thousand drams, but he deals with 400 million, where is the guarantee that he will grow wings? Fear of being punished? In 1984, the director of one of Moscow’s largest shopping centers, Yeliseev’s shop, was sentenced to death. Was it a lesson for other Soviet directors?
I really do not know how it is possible to change the “corruption culture”. At least, it is not as easy as it seems at first glance.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
