Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the National Plan for Countering Corruption for 2021–2024. The corresponding decree was published on the government’s official legal information portal on Monday, August 16.
Among other things, the plan proposes:
- Improving the submission procedure for civil servants’ asset declarations;
- Prohibiting those who have been fined for corruption offenses from joining the civil service;
- Improving the auditing of information about government officials’ digital assets;
- Restricting people with outstanding convictions from running state unitary enterprises and state municipal institutions;
- Organizing training for businessmen to minimize the risks of falling afoul of anti-corruption laws in other countries;
- Creating online content aimed at “popularizing anti-corruption standards” in society;
- Starting training in universities under the “Anti-corruption activities” program.
Putin also gave corresponding instructions to the cabinet, the presidential administration, and other relevant departments.
Russia’s first anti-corruption plan was approved by then-President Dmitry Medvedev in 2008 and it has been updated every two years since then. Since 2018, the national anti-corruption plan has covered a three-year period.
According to the latest version of the annual corruption perception index, Russia is tied for 129th place with Azerbaijan, Gabon, Malawi, and Mali. The Russian Federation has risen one point in these rankings since 2018.