A UN-commissioned corruption assessment report has found that the Lebanese government loses more than $1.5 billion a year as a result of graft, reported the Daily Star newspaper Tuesday.
Information International, the private company contracted by the United Nations Center for International Crime Prevention (UNCICP), said Monday that Lebanon lost a significant amount of money through uncollected electricity bills and public land fees, especially on coastal property.
The two sectors contribute at least one-third to the country’s $1.5 billion in losses each year, said the paper.
With the 2001 budget deficit forecast at $3.4 billion, the government could cut the budget gap by almost half if it cracked down on corruption, according to the daily.
An official at the UNCICP, hoped that the Lebanese government will work on this issue which harm the country and its people.
Alexander Schmidt said he expected that judicial reform would be given priority.
Since July, the UN’s anti-corruption campaign has cost some $300,000, said the paper.
Information International received $40,000 in funding, but the company instead donated the money to an anti-corruption fund that will encourage investigative journalism and introduce anti-corruption ideas in education, according to UNCICP's website.
UNCICP is part of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, headed by Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, Pino Arlacci.
It employs about 15 professional staff members, plus support personnel. In addition, the Centre cooperates with a network of international and regional institutions allowing for a more comprehensive approach and an exchange of expertise when dealing with such issues as organized crime, money laundering and drug control -- Albawaba.com.
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