Bhutan has been ranked as the least corrupt country in South Asia. Nepal is the second most corrupt country in South Asia after Afghanistan if one goes by the Corruption Perception Index- 2011 released by Berlin-based Transparency International today.
According to TI, the world’s most credible measure of domestic and public sector corruption, Nepal is ranked 154th with a score of 2.2. It was ranked 146th last year. The index had scored 183 countries and territories from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean) based on perceived levels of public sector corruption. Two thirds of the ranked countries have scored less than five.
A press statement issued by Bishnu Bahadur KC, chairperson, TI-Nepal, states that any country that scores less than three shows that corruption is all-pervasive there.
In South Asia, Bhutan has scored 5.7 followed by Sri Lanka 3.3, India 3.1, Bangladesh 2.7, Maldives 2.5, Pakistan 2.5, Nepal 2.2 and Afghanistan 1.5.
The index is based on expert assessment and data from six international surveys commissioned by six independent institutions, covering issues such as access to information, bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, and the enforcement of anti-corruption laws and their outcome, action against the corrupt, political corruption, and bribery in export and import of goods.
“The cause of rampant corruption in public sectors has been attributed to the government’s lethargic performance to control the financial crime in political transition. It reflects the lack of will power and commitment on the part of the government and political parties to maintain good governance and that anti-graft bodies failed in their job,” said KC.
New Zealand ranks first with a score of 9.5, followed by Finland and Denmark. Somalia and North Korea (included in the Index for the first time) figure last on the index, with a score of 1.0 each.
TI adds that protests around the world, often fuelled by corruption and economic instability, clearly show citizens feel their leaders and public institutions are neither transparent nor accountable enough.
What a fantastic news for the Bhutanese regime to brag about!
When would they find out JSW and his regime one of the most brutal regime in Asia (I mean ethnic cleanser). In ratio Bhutan is only the country which has maximum number of refugee if compared with its population. When would this fact come?
when u all r clean up from u r own country(nepal),cos u can claim as ethnic fighter but we know u all r nepalese people who dint got work in u r own country n came to bhutan to work .and at last u all wanted to be the ruler of dat country whr u earn u r bread,instate of giving thanks to dat country u r blaming for what they have done to u all.
Which area was considered for this rating? If the authorities’ stand to subdue the Bhutanese mass to adopt the 17th century standards that call every one back to slavery under pressure were seen interwined, definitely there is no point of praises. Alex’s point is a solid proof there was “CORRUPTION” in the evaluation process.