Russia's anti-corruption watchdog to check state companies in 2011

Transparency International Russia, the country's center for anti-corruption research and initiative, will examine the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures in state companies this year, the center's head, Yelena Panfilova, said on Friday. "We plan to check all Russian state corporations concerning corruption in their business in 2011," Panfilova told reporters, adding that a systematic method to control business transactions of state companies was needed. "The system of purchases at state companies stands apart from other forms of economic life ... because they are established by the government, financed by the government, they meet state challenges but they are commercial corporations. This is why this sphere was shadowy for a long time," Panfilova said. The Russian state-run civil nuclear corporation Rosatom was the first which was checked by Transparency International Russia this year. The center elicited violations in purchases at public markets and sent recommendations to the corporation to eliminate them. "Our list concerns many questions, including ... setup of objective mechanisms which regulate starting prices during trading and instruments which help to develop competition in trading to the increase level of information transparency," she added.