TI's Corruption Perceptions Index and Bangladesh - press coverage 1

AFP, Berlin, 28 June 2001

Charging that there is a worldwide corruption crisis, the non-governmental organisation Transparency International (TI) named Bangladesh as "the most corrupt nation" and Finland as the least in its yearly Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released yesterday.

However, in a statement, the TI said its poll of 91 nations did not "reflect secret payments to finance political campaigns, the complicity of banks in money laundering or bribery by multinational companies".

"There is no end in sight to the misuse of power by those in public office, and corruption levels are perceived to be as high as ever in both the developed and developing worlds," TI chairman Petger Eigen said in the communiqué, made available in Berlin.

"There is a worldwide corruption crisis."

The TI poll said poor countries and nations in transition, "in particular (those of) the former Soviet Union," were among the most corrupt, as well as African countries suffering the added problem of fighting AIDS.

"HIV-AIDS is killing millions of Africans and in many of the countries where AIDS is at its deadliest the problem is compounded by the fact that corruption levels are seen to be very high," Eigen said.

He added it was "essential that corrupt governments do not steal from their own people. This is now an urgent priority if lives are to be saved."

In the poll, rich countries like Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, Iceland, Singapore and Sweden "scored nine or higher out of a clean score of 10... indicating very low levels of perceived corruption".

A total of 55 countries, many of which are among the world's poorest, scored less than five on the index.

Countries scoring two or less were Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Cameroon, Kenya, Indonesia, Uganda, Nigeria and Bangladesh.

Finland was the least corrupt nation with 9.9 points, Britain was the 13th least corrupt nation, with 8.3 points, the United States tied for 16th with Israel at 7.6, Japan came in at 21st with 7.1 points, France 23rd with 6.7 points, Mexico, Panama and the Slovak Republic tied for 51st with 3.7 points, and Ecuador, Pakistan and Russia tied for 79th with 2.3 points. Bangladesh was pegged as the most corrupt nation with 0.4 points.

The TI Corruption Perceptions Index is a subjective reading, compiled from the opinions of public officials and politicians.

Speaking in Washington, TI Vice-chairman Frank Vogl said the organisation planned to "publish a new Bribe Payers Index in early 2002 to shine the spotlight on the propensity of western firms to use bribes in emerging market economies."

Another TI vice-chairman, Tunku Abdul Aziz, said in Malaysia that since the CPI might not show changes that take years to bear fruit, "it may not give credit to new government leaders who are making determined efforts to counter years of rampant corruption in their countries."

He said, "In recent times, we have seen new leaders take the helm in Nigeria, Mexico and the Philippines intent upon far-reaching anti-corruption programmes."

"The Nigerian administration has also made great strides in its quest to recover funds looted by the late dictator Sani Abacha," he said.

The CPI, which was launched in 1995, is a poll of polls, which in its 2001 ranking drew on 14 surveys from seven independent institutions.

TI said its rating of Bangladesh should be "viewed with caution" since "data for this country in 2001 was available from only three independent survey sources and each of these yielded very different results."

Click here for more press coverage

• Click here for fuller details of the CPI
  
  
• Click here for a statement by TIB's Chairman made on 3 July 2001
  
  
• Click here for an introduction to an email discussion on the CPI and Bangladesh.