Launch of the study “Corruption risks in customs administration: how the media and civil society can monitor them”

Customs corruption creates several risks, including lost public budget revenue, delays in processing imports and exports, and reduced company competitiveness. In Moldova, import revenue accounts for more than half of tax revenue, and World Bank estimates suggest that over 30% of import revenue in developing countries is lost to corruption. Nearly every second small or medium-sized company that imported over the past three years reported difficulties caused by customs corruption.

Finance Minister Dumitru Budianschi, Customs Service representative Nicolae Vutcariov, Expert-Grup director Adrian Lupușor and the National Anticorruption Centre’s Lidia Chireoglo stressed commitment to integrity, noting that the customs sector remains on the list of sectors vulnerable to corruption. Study author Marina Soloviova urged the media and civil society to monitor developments through surveys, focus groups and statistical methods.