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Economic Confidential,
November
17, 2009
Facts and Figures
Hurray… Nigeria is No More Most Corrupt Nation
By Economic Confidential
Hurray… Hurray… Hurray!
This year again Nigeria is not listed
amongst the most corrupt nations in the world having come 130th
position out of 180 countries in the current
assessment of Transparency
International’s 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which is a
measure of domestic, public sector corruption.
The new report was released today by Transparency International
which is the global civil society organisation leading the fight
against corruption.
Nigeria which scores 2.5 out of the maximum mark of 10 for the
cleanest (non-corrupt) nations has beaten other countries for the
worst position. In the list cleanest countries score between 8.7
to 9.4 over 10 point while the most
corrupt one, a dozen of them score marks between 1.1 to 1.8 over 10
point.
The most corrupt nation that scored the lowest mark of 1.1 is Somali
followed closely Afghanistan (1.3), Myanmar (1.4), Sudan (1.5), Iraq
(1.5), Chad (1.6), Uzbekistan (1.7), Turkmenistan (1.8), Iran (1.8),
Haiti (1.8), Guinea (1.8) and Equatorial Guinea(1.8) in that order.
The 12 most corrupt nations are fragile, unstable states that are
scarred by war and ongoing conflict linger at the bottom of the
index. Countries which are perceived as the most corrupt are also
those plagued by long-standing conflicts, which have torn apart
their governance infrastructure.
The ten cleanest and less corrupt countries with highest marks in
the Corruption Index are New Zealand that scores 9.4 followed by
Denmark 9.3, Singapore 9.2, Sweden 9.2, Switzerland 9.0, Finland
8.9, Netherlands 8.9, Australia 8.7, Canada 8.7 and Iceland scoring
8.7 over 10 maximum point. These scores of the highest scorers
reflect political stability, long-established conflict of interest
regulations and solid, functioning public institutions.
In a release by the TI, it disclosed that the vast majority of the
180 countries included in the 2009 index score below five on a scale
from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 10 (perceived to have low
levels of corruption). The CPI measures the perceived levels of
public sector corruption in a given country and is a composite
index, drawing on 13 different expert and business surveys. The 2009
edition scores 180 countries, the same number as the 2008 CPI.
The Chair of Transparency International (TI) Huguette Labelle
emphasised on the importance of the index saying that: “At a time
when massive stimulus packages, fast-track disbursements of public
funds and attempts to secure peace are being implemented around the
world, it is essential to identify where corruption blocks good
governance and accountability, in order to break its corrosive
cycle.”
Labelle warned that “Stemming corruption requires strong oversight
by parliaments, a well performing judiciary, independent and
properly resourced audit and anti-corruption agencies, vigorous law
enforcement, transparency in public budgets, revenue and aid flows,
as well as space for independent media and a vibrant civil society.
The international community must find efficient ways to help
war-torn countries to develop and sustain their own institutions.”
The report also stated that as the world economy begins to register
a tentative recovery and some nations continue to wrestle with
ongoing conflict and insecurity, it is clear that no region of the
world is immune to the perils of corruption, according to
Transparency International ’s 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index
(CPI), a measure of domestic, public sector corruption released
today.
Overall results in the 2009 index are of great concern because
corruption continues to lurk where opacity rules, where institutions
still need strengthening and where governments have not implemented
anti-corruption legal frameworks.
Even industrialised countries cannot be complacent: the supply of
bribery and the facilitation of corruption often involve businesses
based in their countries. Financial secrecy jurisdictions, linked to
many countries that top the CPI, severely undermine efforts to
tackle corruption and recover stolen assets.
“Corrupt money must not find safe haven. It is time to put an end to
excuses,” said Labelle. “The OECD’s work in this area is welcome,
but there must be more bilateral treaties on information exchange to
fully end the secrecy regime. At the same time, companies must cease
operating in renegade financial centres.”
Bribery, cartels and other corrupt practices undermine competition
and contribute to massive loss of resources for development in all
countries, especially the poorest ones. Between 1990 and 2005, more
than 283 private international cartels were exposed that cost
consumers around the world an estimated US $300 billion in
overcharges, as documented in a recent TI report.
With the vast majority of countries in the 2009 index scoring below
five, the corruption challenge is undeniable. The Group of 20 has
made strong commitments to ensure that integrity and transparency
form the cornerstone of a newfound regulatory structure. As the G20
tackles financial sector and economic reforms, it is critical to
address corruption as a substantial threat to a sustainable economic
future. The G20 must also remain committed to gaining public support
for essential reforms by making institutions such as the Financial
Stability Board and decisions about investments in infrastructure,
transparent and open to civil society input.
Globally and nationally, institutions of oversight and legal
frameworks that are actually enforced, coupled with smarter, more
effective regulation, will ensure lower levels of corruption. This
will lead to a much needed increase of trust in public institutions,
sustained economic growth and more effective development assistance.
Most importantly, it will alleviate the enormous scale of human
suffering in the countries that perform most poorly in the
Corruption Perceptions Index.
Click below to see the table
Corruption: Table of the
clean and the Dirty Nations
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