A recent survey by Ernst & Young shows that as many as 19 percent of businesses in the Baltic states are prepared to offer bribes to enliven their business activities, a drastic increase from only 4 percent a year ago.
Marilin Pikaro, a fraud investigator at the company, said in a press release today that in comparison to Western European countries, anti-bribery and corruption guidelines and employee training on risks from fraud receive less attention in the Baltic states, and fewer sanctions are applied.
Nearly half of participants in the poll in the three states said that bribery and corruption in everyday business activities are on the rise. The respective worldwide figure was 57 percent.
“The current complicated market conditions put companies under constant pressure of growth and profit expectations, creating a favorable ground for a rise in fraud,” said Ivar Kiigemägi, a board member at the company's branch in the region.