EY: 31% Of Romanian Companies Say Business Environment Is Affected By Corruption

In Romania, 31% of the respondents consider that the business environment is affected by corruption.

Twenty-seven percent of all respondents state that the use of bribery to win contracts is common practice in their business sector, including 14% of respondents in Western Europe.

EY report entitled “Human instinct or machine logic – which do you trust most in the fight against fraud and corruption?” surveyed 4,100 employees from large businesses in 41 countries.

According to the study, 77% of board directors or senior managers say they would be willing to justify some form of unethical behavior to help a business survive, while one in three would be willing to offer cash payments to win or retain business.

Nevertheless, 28% of respondents believe that regulations had a positive impact on deterring unethical behavior and 77% of respondents agree that the prosecution of individuals would help deter fraud, bribery and corruption by executives.

“Under the current circumstances, as public authorities carry out stricter checkups and employees are more motivated by personal gains than the loyalty towards employers, companies should take the lead and make sure the ethical standards are observed. The study shows that distrust among coworkers and unethical behavior became key features among employees at present. (…) Unless immediate measures are taken by setting up high ethical standards and by showing zero tolerance to corruption and fraud actions across all levels of an organization, unethical behavior could intensify in the future,” said Simona Radu, Executive Director – Fraud Investigation and Dispute Services EY Romania.