India ranks 72 in Corruption Index
India has been placed at rank 72 in the Corruption Perception Index of the Transparency International. It has slightly improved from its position of 70 in 2006 and 88 in 2005 and 90 in 2004. In 2007, our rank is 72 out of 179 countries. Bangladesh at 162, Nigeria at 147, Russia at 143, Pakistan at 138, Iran at 131, sri Lanka at 94, are all below us while China at 72 share the honours with us. Kuwait at 60, Mauritius at 53, Bhutan at 46, Italy at 41, Taiwan at 34 and USA at 20 are ahead of us. And the least corrupt country is Denmark followed by Finland, New Zealand and Singapore.
The divide in perceived levels of corruption in rich and poor countries remains as sharp as ever, according to the 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), released yesterday by Transparency International, the global coalition against corruption.
The 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index looks at perceptions of public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories - the greatest country coverage of any CPI to date - and is a composite index that draws on 14 expert opinion surveys. It scores countries on a scale from zero to ten, with zero indicating high levels of perceived corruption and ten indicating low levels of perceived corruption.
A strong correlation between corruption and poverty continues to be evident. Forty percent of those scoring below three, indicating that corruption is perceived as rampant, are classified by the World Bank as low income countries. Somalia and Myanmar share the lowest score of 1.4, while Denmark has edged up to share the top score of 9.4 with perennial high-flyers Finland and New Zealand.
The poorest countries suffer most under the yoke of corruption.
And it is ultimately their responsibility to tackle the problem. Low scores in the CPI indicate that public institutions are heavily compromised. The first order of business is to improve transparency in financial management, from revenue collection to expenditure, as well as strengthening oversight and putting an end to the impunity of corrupt officials.
Solution? TI suggests
++ Developing countries should use aid money to strengthen their governance institutions, guided by national assessments and development strategies, and to incorporate strengthened integrity and corruption prevention as an integral part of poverty reduction programmes.
++ Judicial independence, integrity and accountability must be enhanced to improve the credibility of justice systems in poorer countries. Not only must judicial proceedings be freed of political influence, judges themselves must be subject to disciplinary rules, limited immunity and a code of judicial conduct to help ensure that justice is served. A clean and capable judiciary is essential if developing countries are to manage requests for assistance in the recovery of stolen assets from abroad.
++ Governments must introduce anti-money laundering measures to eradicate safe havens for stolen assets, as prescribed by the UNCAC. Leading banking centres should explore the development of uniform expedited procedures for the identification, freezing and repatriation of the proceeds of corruption. Clear escrow provisions for disputed funds are essential.
++ Wealthy countries must regulate their financial centres more strictly. Focusing on the roles of trusts, demanding knowledge of beneficial ownership and strengthening anti-money laundering provisions are just a few of the ways that rich governments can tackle the facilitators of corruption.
++ The world's wealthiest governments must strictly enforce the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, which criminalises the bribery of foreign public officials. Lack of compliance with the convention's provisions continues to hinder corruption investigations and prosecutions.
++ The boards of multinational companies must not only introduce but implement effective anti-bribery codes, and ensure that they are adhered to by subsidiaries and foreign offices.