Corruption no surprise on the Finno-Russian border

A report published on Monday by the Finnish Ministry of Justice finds that Finnish transport companies active on the border between Finland and Russia pay on average more than 50,000 euros in bribes each year. The daily Savon Sanomat comments: "The results of the study come as no surprise. The so-called double-billing on the border has been a negative practice for years. Finnish police, taxation and border authorities have called attention to the problem on numerous occasions, however all they can do from their side is look on. To eradicate the problem the Russian authorities would have to change their policy, but as yet there is no sign of such a move. For the Finns the situation is extremely complicated. Russia is a vitally important trade partner, and so the Finnish authorities try to avoid making strong statements. Of course our diplomats have protested when fees were raised without cause, and the Russian authorities have promised to look into such cases."

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