PH corruption ranking slightly improves
Peaceful countries such as New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Singapore obtained scores of 9.5 to 9.2, while conflict-ridden and poor nations such as North Korea, Somalia, Myanmar and Afghanistan, were placed at the bottom of the list, scoring 1.
5 to 1.
To some extent, wealth has failed to stop corruption, as even rich countries such as China and Russia scored below five, garnering only 3.6 and 2.4, respectively.
TI said majority of the countries that they assessed scored below five, but noted the growing frustrations of the public over corruption that have pressured their respective leaders to make a dent in the fight against it.
“This year we have seen corruption on protestors’ banners be they rich or poor. Whether in a Europe hit by debt crisis or an Arab world starting a new political era, leaders must heed the demands for better government,” said TI chair Huguette Labelle.
TI said the assessment was based on a survey they conducted covering the issues of bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds, and the effectiveness of public sector anti-corruption efforts.
Although, the data is based purely on perception, the TI said: “Perceptions are used because corruption is to a great extent a hidden activity that is difficult to measure. Over time, perceptions have proved to be a reliable estimate of corruption.” (Darwin Wally T. Wee/MindaNews)
