MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) - A recent INDEM Foundation report "Russian Corruption Dynamics: 2001-2005" shows that corruption in the social sector has increased from $2.8 billion to $3 billion in the last four years, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily reported Thursday.
Experts from the non-governmental foundation believe that the relative market stability can be explained by two parallel social processes. On the one hand, corrupt officials are exerting greater pressure on the population. In 2001, the "everyday corruption index" stood at 25.7%. In 2005 it reached 35%. This "index" includes bribes made to outpatient clinics, schools and traffic policemen. Moreover, the amount of the average dollar bribe doubled. On the other hand, Russians are now more reluctant to bribe officials. In 2001, 74.7% of respondents were willing to pay bribes, as against 53.2% of respondents this year.
INDEM Foundation President Georgy Satarov said that the most heartening news was that ordinary Russians were learning to solve their problems without resorting to bribery. At the same time, reduced corruption in the public health sector conceals a dramatic situation: people are unable to afford private health care, but at the same time they cannot afford to use free medical services because they are unable to bribe the doctors.
Corruption relating to military conscription has shot up. The report said this was the most alarming development. The market increased from 12.7% to 353.3% this year in absolute terms. Local colleges and universities are also accepting more bribes because students are entitled to defer military service.
The report stresses that, "actual corruption far exceeds these statistics." It says that Russia continues to rank 90th among 145 countries in terms of corruption. Four years ago the level of corruption in Russia was the same as the level in Poland and the Baltic states. However, Russia now ranks alongside Central Asia and Africa.
