Reuters reports on the rampant corruption in Russia.
From Reuters (via MSNBC):
Corrupt officials are raking off a sum equivalent to one third of Russia’s annual budget, or $120 billion, a senior prosecutor was quoted as saying Friday.
President Dmitry Medvedev has pledged to crack down on corruption, which he acknowledges is rampant. Economists say the problem threatens [...]
Although Russian Authorities have lowered piracy rates in 2007, the trade in counterfeit and pirated goods are still a problem.
From the Moscow Times:
Fewer Russians now buy pirated computer software and cheap bootleg alcohol, but pirated goods on sale in the country still make several billions of dollars per year for counterfeiters, the Higher School of [...]
According to the United States Department of State, “The annual revenue from illicit drug trafficking in Russia was estimated to be $15 billion”.
Source: 2007 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, “Europe and Central Asia: Russia,” United States Department of State (accessed: March 2, 2007).
According to Russian officials, the counterfeit and pirated goods market in Russia is worth up to $6 billion.
Source: Russian News and Information Agency, “Russian fake products markets worth up to $6 billion-minister,” RIA Novosti, January 31, 2006.
Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Illicit Drug Trends in the Russian Federation,” April 2008.
In 2006, Russian law enforcement agencies arrest more than 3,000 foreigners of drug trafficking in Russia. The traffickers were mostly from Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan.
Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Illicit Drug Trends in the Russian Federation,” April 2008.
There are 517,389 registered users of illicit drugs in Russia. Estimates have the total number of users as high as 4 million.
Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Illicit Drug Trends in the Russian Federation,” April 2008.
Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Illicit Drug Trends in the Russian Federation,” April 2008.
U.S. copyright industries estimate that they lost in excess of $1.4 billion in 2007 due to copyright piracy in Russia.
Source: “2008 Special 301 Report,” Office of the United States Trade Representative, April 25, 2008.