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The 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI),
launched today by Transparency International (TI), points to a strong
correlation between corruption and poverty, with a concentration of
impoverished states at the bottom of the ranking. |
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¡°Corruption traps millions in poverty,¡± said
Transparency International Chair Huguette Labelle. ¡°Despite a decade of
progress in establishing anti-corruption laws and regulations, today¡¯s
results indicate that much remains to be done before we see meaningful
improvements in the lives of the world¡¯s poorest citizens.¡± |
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The 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index is a
composite index that draws on multiple expert opinion surveys that poll
perceptions of public sector corruption in 163 countries around the
world, the greatest scope of any CPI to date. |
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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. |
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A strong correlation between corruption and
poverty is evident in the results of the CPI 2006. |
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Almost three-quarters of the countries in
the CPI score below five (including all low-income countries and all but
two African states) indicating that most countries in the world face
serious perceived levels of domestic corruption. |
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Seventyone countries - nearly half - score
below three, indicating that corruption is perceived as rampant. Haiti
has the lowest score at 1.8; Guinea, Iraq and Myanmar share the
penultimate slot, each with a score of 1.9. Finland, Iceland and New
Zealand share the top score of 9.6. |
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Countries with a significant worsening in
perceived levels of corruption include: Brazil, Cuba, Israel, Jordan,
Laos, Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and the United States.
Countries with a significant improvement in perceived levels of
corruption include: Algeria, Czech Republic, India, Japan, Latvia,
Lebanon, Mauritius, Paraguay, Slovenia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and
Uruguay. |
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A concentration of so-called ¡®failed states¡¯
is apparent at the bottom of the ranking. Iraq has sunk to
second-to-last place, with pre-war survey data no longer included in
this year¡¯s CPI. |
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While the industrialised countries score
relatively high on the CPI 2006, we continue to see major corruption
scandals in many of these countries. Although corruption in this context
may have less of an impact on poverty and development than in developing
countries, these scandals demonstrate that there is no room for
complacency. |
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Explanatory notes |
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* CPI Score relates to perceptions of the
degree of corruption as seen by business people and country analysts,
and ranges between 10 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt). |
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Source:
http://www.transparency.org
Press Release 6 Nov 2006 |
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Singapore ranks 5th in 2006
Corruption Perceptions Index