The loss of confidence is just as great regardless of where in the public sector corruption occurs and it's about how our tax money is used, says Natali Engstam Phalén.
Of the 107 reports of corruption offenses received during the period from November 1, 2023 to November 1, 2024, municipalities and regions accounted for only 15 reports, the National Anti-Corruption Group (NKG) found in an annual report in December.
The willingness to report seems alarmingly low from municipalities and regions, says Engstam Phalén.
One reason we see is that there is no mandatory obligation to report corruption offenses, which exists in the state sector, she adds.
Unreasonable difference
The problem of low willingness to report corruption within municipalities and regions has previously also been highlighted by the Swedish Agency for Public Management.
The difference compared to reports from the state sector is, according to Engstam Phalén, unreasonably large considering that most of the corruption-sensitive public activities in the country are carried out by municipalities and regions – and that municipalities and regions are almost five times larger than the state sector.
Seven out of ten procurements take place in municipalities. It's a recognized risk area, she says.
It's about large sums of money, with 900 billion per year in announced procurements and all direct procurements, according to Engstam Phalén.
"Known risk areas"
Moreover, she points out that municipalities are the part of the public sector that handles most of the authority exercise in Sweden, with payments of grants, permit reviews, and building permits.
These are known risk areas for corruption.
Often, corruption suspicions in municipalities and regions are handled through labor law by buying out employees. The risk is then that the person can continue their criminal activities at other public workplaces.
For organized crime, corruption is crucial, according to Engstam Phalén:
Corruption is a tool for enabling and conducting organized crime and for handling criminal profits within the framework of the criminal economy.
