Transparency: Anti-corruption reforms lag behind schedule

BELGRADE - The non-governmental organisation Transparency Serbia (TS) has commented on the first year of the current government's term in office by saying that the anti-corruption reforms are lagging behind schedule, and that some important issues related to the battle against corruption have not been addressed properly.

TS, which is part of Transparency International, says that a large number of plans listed in the prime minister's programme for this government or the action plan for the implementarion of the anti-corruption strategy have not been fulfilled.

Improvements to the laws on the Anti-Corruption Agency and on political party funding have not been adopted yet, and not even a draft of the law on lobbying has been presented, even though the deadlines in the action plan have been breached, TS noted.

On the other hand, it is good that the first law on protection for whistleblowers has been adopted and its implementation will begin in June, although a number of flaws in the act TS has pointed to in the public debate have not been removed, TS said.

Photo Tanjug, M. Jelesijevic (illustration)