Post on 21-Feb-2020
CITIZENS’ PERCEPTIONS OF
ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS IN SERBIA
USAID Government Accountability Initiative (GAI)
CeSID doo
December 11, 2018
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia1
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia 2
METHODOLOGY
FIELDWORK From 27 October to 10 November 2018
SAMPLE TYPE AND SIZERandom representative sample of 1,193 adult citizens of
Serbia
SAMPLE FRAME
Polling station catchment areas as the most reliable
registry units
SELECTION OF HOUSEHOLDS
Random sampling without replacement: each second
street address from starting point for each polling station
catchment area
SELECTION OF RESPONDENTS
BY HOUSEHOLDBy date of first birthday in relation to survey date
SURVEY METHOD Face-to-face at home
SURVEY INSTRUMENT 103-item questionnaire
The survey was conducted by CeSID doo, for the USAID funded Government Accountability Initiative
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia 3
DESCRIPTION OF THE SAMPLE (in %)
87
4
3
2
4
27
23
50
12
9
48
28
3
19
18
14
18
19
12
47
53
Serbian
Hungarian
Bosniak
Roma
Others
Vojvodina
Belgrade
Central Serbia
Primary school or lower
Vocational school
Four-year secondary school
College/university
School/university student
18-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70 and above
Male
Female
Eth
nic
ity
Regi
on
Educa
tion
Age
Gender
THE AVERAGE AGE OF
THE RESPONDENT IS 48
4
IN GENERAL, DO YOU BELIEVE SERBIA IS MOVING
IN THE RIGHT OR THE WRONG DIRECTION? (in %)
19
34
47
DNK/Cannot tell Right direction Wrong direction
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
5
PERCEPTION OF IMPACT OF CORRUPTION ON
CITIZENS PERSONAL AND FAMILY LIFE (in %) AND
CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THEY CURRENTLY LIVE
5
5
3
3
6
5
13
33
35
52
10
18
25
23
20
18
24
24
25
18
62
40
15
14
4
Intolerable
Barely tolerable
Tolerable
Mediocre
Good
DNK/Cannot tell No impact Slight impact Moderate impact Major impact
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
%
%
%
%
%
6
HOW WIDESPREAD IS CORRUPTION IN SERBIA? (in %)
8
4 4
27
39
18
DNK/Cannot tell Very little Little Moderately Greatly Extremely
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
7
INSTITUTION THAT IS MOST COMMITTED TO
ADDRESSING CORRUPTION? (in %)
11
19
1
1
2
2
2
3
4
4
9
9
10
23
DNK/Cannot tell
None
State Audit Institution
Parliament
Courts
Local Self-Government
Public Prosecutors' Office
Ombudsman
Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and PersonalData Protection
Anti-Corruption Council
Anti-Corruption Agency
Government
Police
President
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
8
RECOGNIZABILITY AND PERFORMANCE SCORES
OF ANTI-CORRUPTION INSTITUTIONS (in %)
Performance score on a scale 1= poor to 5=excellent
78% 74% 74% 73% 71%
54%49% 46%
Police Courts Government Local Self-Government
PublicProsecutor's
Office
Anti-CorruptionAgency
Anti-CorruptionCouncil
State AuditInstitution
2,16 1,93 2,37 2,01 1,96 2,37 2,31 2,21
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
9
HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA
IN ADDRESSING CORRUPTION? (in %)
8
20
32
35
4
DNK/Cannot tell
Not effective at all
Mostly ineffective
Somewhat effective
Highly effective
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
10
WHAT SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT DO FIRST TO
TACKLE CORRUPTION EFFECTIVELY? (in %)
3
3
4
5
5
6
6
7
9
12
17
23
To allocate additional resources to investigative
bodies for investigating corruption
To enable more effective conflict of interests
resolution
To conduct continous awareness raising and
education on the consequences of corruption
To ensure the public prosecutors prosecute
corruption offenses more effectively
To enforce stringent control of public tenders and
public procurement
DNK/Cannot tell
To improve the legal framework on financing political
activities
To eleviate bureaucreacy and simplify procedures
To ensure judges to adjudicate corruption cases
more effectively
To ensure legal protections of whistle-blowers to
report corruption safely
To enable and protect whistle-blowers that report
corruption cases
To be more determined in investigating corruption
cases
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
11
HAVE YOU HEARD OF LOCAL ANTI-CORRUPTION
PLANS? (in %)
76
19
5
Hasn’t heard of/Does not know of LAP
Has heard of, doesn’t know what it is
Has heard of, knows what it is.
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
12
TO WHICH EXTENT IS YOUR LOCAL
GOVERNMENT…? (in %)
17 16
22
15
1921
31
2123
2828 2826
31
28
25
19
24 24
19
7
4 5 64
2 2 2 1 2
Transparent/open tothe public (published
and provides allimportant informationon its work regularly)
Invites and allowscitizens to participatein the decision making
process
Responsibly andrationally manages
the local budget andother public goods
Provides services thatmeet the needs and
interests of its citizens
Committed to theprevention and fightagainst corruption
Doesn't know Poor Moderate Fair Good Excellent
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
13
THE MOST CORRUPT INSTITUTION IN SERBIA
(in %)23
13
9
8
6
6
5
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
15
Healthcare
Courts
Police
Customs
Local self-government mayors/representatives
Ministers
President
Parliament
Public Prosecutor’s Office
Education
Public enforcers
Tax Administration
Public enterprises
Notaries
Cadaster
Does not know, cannot tell
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
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WHICH ONE OF THESE CORRUPT PRACTICES IS
THE MOST WIDESPREAD IN SERBIA? (in %)
11
2
3
4
4
6
6
9
10
22
23
Does not know, cannot tell
Doing favours for public employees in exchange for functionsthey are otherwise obligated to perform
Simultaneously performing multiple public offices incontravention of law
Using state/public resources to benefit a political party
Using state/public resources to benefit a private company
Using state/public resources for private purposes (any form ofprivate benefit)
Simultaneously performing public office and owning a privatebusiness in contravention of law
Giving money to public employees in exchange for functions theyare otherwise obligated to perform
Giving gifts to public employees in exchange for functions theyare otherwise obligated to perform
Using connections and friendships with public employees tofacilitate and expedite matters
Using public office to employ relatives or friends
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
15
PERCEIVED EXTENT OF CORRUPTION, NATIONAL
LEVEL AND RESPONDENTS’ IMMEDIATE SOCIAL
SURROUNDINGS (in %)74
6659 57 57 57 57 57 56 53
58 55
3946
40 39 36 37 36 38
Using publicoffice toemploy
relatives orfriends
Usingconnections
and friendshipswith public
employees tofacilitate and
expeditematters
Usingstate/publicresources to
benefit apolitical party
Giving gifts topublic
employees inexchange for
functions theyare otherwiseobligated to
perform
Giving moneyto public
employees inexchange for
functions theyare otherwiseobligated to
perform
Usingstate/public
resources forprivate
purposes (anyform of private
benefit)
Usingstate/publicresources to
benefit aprivate
company
Simultaneouslyperformingpublic office
and owning aprivate
business incontravention
of law
Simultaneouslyperforming
multiple publicoffices in
contraventionof law
Doing favoursfor public
employees inexchange for
functions theyare otherwiseobligated to
perform
National level Respondents’ immediate social surroundingsUSAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
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COULD YOU PLEASE RATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
FOLLOWING POLICIES THAT COULD REDUCE
CORRUPTION IN SERBIA? (in %)
5
5
4
6
5
3
2
17
8
7
6
4
4
4
17
17
18
17
14
8
9
61
70
71
71
77
83
85
Educating public and civil servants about the harm of
corruption
Strengthening media freedom and transparency
Increasing transparency of public institutions
Improving level of exercising the right to free access to
information of public importance
Strenghtening IOI’s oversight and control
Higher penalties, including prison sentences, for those
who take and give bribes
Strengthening Whistle-blower Protection
Important Moderatelly important Not important Cannot tellUSAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
17
IF YOU WOULD NOT BE READY TO REPORT A CIVIL
SERVANT/EMPLOYEE ASKING FOR A BRIBE, COULD
YOU PLEASE GIVE TWO REASONS FOR THIS? (in %)
2
7
7
13
18
22
31
I do not know which institution is responsible
for such cases
I would not interfere unless corruption affected
me personally
I am unfamiliar with procedures for reporting
Our society does not appreciate those who
report corruption
I would be afraid of the consequences
It is difficult to prove someone asked for a
bribe
Nothing would change even if I did so
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
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IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE KEY FACTORS
THAT ADVERSELY AFFECT EFFORTS TO ADDRESS
CORRUPTION? (in %, multiple choice question)
USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia
6
9
26
28
30
37
38
40
41
Does not know
Lack of locations where corruption can be reported
Citizens are ignorant or insufficiently aware of theirrights
Flawed legislation or penalties for corruption (lenientpenal policy, etc.)
Lack of political will to control corruption
Widespread corruption in law enforcement bodies
Custom of solving problems by pulling strings incontravention of law
Citizens are passive and afraid to report corruption
Inappropriate oversight of government services
19USAID Government Accountability Initiative – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia