BIZARRE - Bribery And "Fakelaki" Also Affected by Austerity

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As bizarre as this sounds, petty corruption has significantly dropped but nonetheless is still present in Greece remaining strongest in the greater Athens region and the Peloponnese! According to the 2012 National Survey on Corruption in Greece which was published on Thursday, the amount of bribes or the commonly known "fakelaki" (little bribery envelopes) actually have decreased for the first time since the beginning of the survey in 2007, with the estimated total cost of petty corruption not exceeding half a billion Euros (estimated at 420 million Euros versus 554 million Euros for 2011).

The annual survey, which was conducted by Transparency International Greece with the help of the polling company Public Issue, and based on the responses given to a questionnaire addressed to a sample of 12,104 people showed that the public sector still remains at the top of the petty corruption list, as it continues to receive the most "fakelaki" compared to the private sector.

Hospitals apparently topped the list (at 45 pct), coming in second were tax offices (at 13.3 pct) and town planning permission bodies (at 3.7 pct). However, the bribes paid to public services have also been affected by austerity, as there is substantial reduction in their average amount (1,228 Euros in 2012 versus 1,399 Euros in 2011).

On the other, the private sector seems to gain more as the "fakelaki" have become "fatter" by 2.6 pct (average amount of 1,442 Euros in 2012 versus 1,406 Euros in 2011), even though there was a decline in the number of reported corruption transactions (2.6 pct in 2012 versus 3.6 pct for 2011).

Moreover, more people (27.3 pct for the public sector for 2012 versus 25.3 pct for 2011 and 31 pct for the private sector for 2012 versus 21.6 pct for 2011) stated that they refused to pay the requested bribes.

The survey illustrates the social profile of petty corruption victims (based on 21.5 pct of the respondents, who have been corruption victims in the past); they are mostly male in the 45-54 age group, higher education graduates, with self-employed or employer status.

State officials believe that the adaptation and implementation of an effective legal framework for whistle blower protection and encouragement, can in the long run change mentalities, breaking longtime vicious circles that "tolerate" corrupt practices.