site.btaBulgaria's Corruption Perceptions Index Down by 2 Points in 2015 Compared to 2014

Bulgaria's Corruption Perceptions Index Down by 2 Points in 2015 Compared to 2014

Sofia, January 27 (BTA) - Bulgaria's Corruption Perceptions Index dropped by 2 points in 2015 compared to 2014, thus returning to its 2013 level of 41 points, Kalin Slavov, Executive Director of the Transparency without Borders association, said at the BTA National Press Club on Wednesday. This score places Bulgaria 69th in the world and is below the average score for corruption perceptions worldwide, which shows that the country has systematic problems with corruption, Slavov noted. 

Among the main reasons for this unsatisfactory results are the problem with observing the principle of the rule of law, the inefficient penal policy, as well as the lack of timely and efficient sanctions for high-level corruption. The overall institutional environment and the conditions in which the business is working, are other preconditions for the drop in the evaluations in competitiveness studies.

The average score of all 168 countries included in the 2015 edition of the Corruption Perceptions Index is 43 points. The average Corruption Perceptions Index in Southeastern Europe is 42 points, up by one point compared to 2014. In 2015, the index of half of the countries in the region decreased, with Croatia, Greece and Romania achieving progress of 3 points.