ZF English

After Saddam, is Romanian corruption the next US target?

17.04.2003, 00:00 8

The Iraqi war seems to have relocated to the Balkans for the past two days, after the US Ambassador to Romania Michael Guest opened verbal fire against corruption, during the International Anticorruption Donors' Conference.
Whereas Ambassador Guest did maintain a balance between criticism and praise, a representative of American investors in Romania put diplomacy aside and cut to the chase. Obie Moore, president of the America Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham) spoke of Romania's being carefully monitored by Brussels and said that many good changes in the Romanian business environment had been in fact forced by external forces.
All these interventions may point to a certain unrest of the American political and economic community in Romania. This comes only one year after Bucharest officials promised to start an anti-corruption campaign just like in Sweden and to create a business environment just like in Ireland, in exchange for the US support for NATO accession.
In 2002, foreign investment was well below forecasts and American investors tell us why: they don't bring money because they fear they will never see it again.
"The truth is that corruption is not an issue of the centre-left, nor is it an issue of the centre-right.  It's an issue of greed.  It's an issue of individuals who care more about themselves, their positions, and their friends than they do about fairness and justice or, in fact, about this country." US Ambassador to Bucharest, Michael Guest
"Corruption poses a risk to business and I have seen companies leaving Romania on account of this phenomenon. Romania complies gradually and with difficulty (...) We have to push Romania forward." Obie Moore, president of the America Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham)
"I support the opinion expressed by Ambassador Guest and I can confirm that, during various projects of General Electric in Romania, we have come across situations that should not have existed in the first place. The situation mentioned in the Ambassador's speech is exactly the reason why we did not get more involved in Romania," Dan Ionescu, head of GE Balkans (Romania included)
"Every international group takes a look at the entire region. They generally conclude that it is better to go into a country with higher workforce costs, but smaller corruption and red tape. That is why Hungary or other countries in the area are favoured over Romania," Valeriu Ionescu, representative of an AIG investment fund.
President Ion Iliescu has said that the statements of the US Ambassador on corruption express "principles" and "sympathise" with the Government and society efforts in view of quenching corruption.
Florin Georgescu, PSD vice-president and chairman of the Budget-Finance Commission of the Chamber of Deputies says the American Ambassador spoke of corruption in general and, since he did not mention anyone queuing at the PSD door to get some perks, it means that PSD does not condone such practices.
Justice minister Rodica Stanoiu feels the US Ambassador's speech is not a criticism against Romania and this is not the first time His Excellency has launched such considerations.
claudia.covaci@zf.ro ; laurentiu.ispir@zf.ro



 

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