Russian President Dmitry Medvedev introduced new anti-corruption legislation on Thursday that would require banks to release information about the wealth of candidates seeking public service.
Medvedev has made fighting graft a top priority of his presidency. But, like his predecessor and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, he has made little headway in tackling a problem that has spooked foreign investors and hampered development.
Berlin-based watchdog Transparency International ranks Russia 154th out of 178 countries in terms of perceived corruption. Bribery is rife and officials flaunt possessions seemingly far beyond the means provided by their wages.
"From now on it will not be a matter of goodwill. They (banks) will be obliged to share this information," Medvedev said at a meeting of the ruling United Russia party at his residence outside Moscow.
Medvedev said state bodies would release information on real estate owned by applicants for government jobs and their family members. The new rules will also seek to clamp down on officials who combine undeclared businesses and state service.
The bill is almost certain to win approval because parliament is controlled by United Russia - Russia's dominant party led by Putin.
Medvedev did not say whether banks would also have to share the financial data of existing civil servants.
The Kremlin leader acknowledged this year that progress in tackling corruption had been scant.
In 2009 he ordered top government officials to post annual income statements, but Kremlin critics ridicule the procedure, saying the true income of many officials from bribes and financial machinations are far higher.
The lack of results has hurt Medvedev, still seen as a junior partner in Russia's ruling tandem with Putin, who steered him into the Kremlin in 2008 after eight years as president. One of them is expected to stand in a 2012 presidential election.
Many Russians say paying bribes is a regular feature in almost every sphere of life, from ensuring attention in the health care industry, to getting better marks in university, or evading fines by traffic police.
