The Business of Bribery: Corruption in Russia is commonly practiced, rarely discussed openly

Russia has been an example in many ways of how not to achieve a transparent business environment, as it has become infamous for kickbacks, bribes, and intimidation by authorities. Those who do try to conduct business aboveboard face mountains of red-tape bureaucracy that often make law-bending shortcuts a more attractive route. President Dmitry Medvedev has called corruption a threat to Russia's viability as a state. His predecessor Vladimir Putin promised to wipe out corruption when he came to power in 2000. It is a gigantic task, though, in a country rich in oil and gas and notorious for its government-linked oligarchs. According to the latest World Bank report on ease of doing business, Russia overall ranks 120 among 183 economies reviewed. One parameter in the report ranks Russia 182 (or next to last) according to the ease (or rather difficulty in this case) of doing business when it comes to issuing construction permits.