Putin demands tough anticorruption measures in north Caucasus

Russian President Vladimir Putin has set the task to combat corruption in the North Caucasus as toughly as possible. The president stated about “a high level of corruption” in the region. “We are saying that this problem is big in the country as a whole, but it looks quite dramatic in the Caucasus,” Putin noted. “In the first quarter of this year more than 1,600 corruption-related crimes were exposed, that is to say about ten crimes a day on average,” he cited this statistical reports at a meeting of the Russian Security Council on Monday. “Budget embezzlement causes a serious damage to the economy,” the president noted. “In 2013 only the security services have exposed massive frauds to the tune of about 6.5 billion roubles,” the president said. “The spheres related with government contracts, credits, subsidies, construction, the housing and public utility sector and land ownership relations are mostly crime-ridden,” Putin said. “Meanwhile, regional structures frequently neglect the requirements of the federal legislation, for instance, in the placement of orders for the supplies of goods and services,” the president said with indignation. “The trust of people to the work of the state authorities should be increased, first and foremost, thanks to a more intensive struggle against corruption and abuses of office,” Putin said. “Clear-cut guidelines should be set for the law enforcement agencies in their practical struggle with corruption-related crimes and a sweeping propaganda for unacceptance of corruption should be waged in the society,” Putin believes. “Nobleness, honour, the feeling of self-respect is in the blood and nature of Caucasian peoples. The intolerance to any manifestations of bribery and budget embezzlement should be cultivated in people,” the president believes.