Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Nepal ranks 124 in corruption perception index

Despite a stable and strong government – in the history of the country – Nepal failed to crack whip on corruption. "Nepal climbed two points to 124 in the Transparency International's annual Corruption Perception Index-2018 from 122 last year among the 180 countries, though it has equal score compared to last year," according to a report released today by the Transparency International Nepal (TI Nepal).
Nepal's position has stayed the same as there was no headway to reduce corruption this year, the CPI-2018 report reads, adding that after the elections of 2017, corruption in the public sector, businesses and by government officials continue to plague the country.
In South Asia, Nepal ranks the third most corrupt country as Bhutan – ranked at 25 – is the lease corrupt country followed by India (ranked 78), Srilanka (at 89), Pakistan (at 117), Maldives (at 124), Bangladesh (at 149) and Afghanistan at 172.
The CPI measures the extent of corruption within a country on a scale ranging from zero to 100. Countries securing higher scores are rated as the least corrupt and those with low scores are perceived to be the most corrupt. The annual Index is generated based on surveys conducted by the World Bank, World Economic Forum, Global Insight, Bertelsmann Foundation, World Justice Project and Varieties of Democracy (V-DEM).
TI has been publishing the report since 1995 but Nepal was included in the CPI report from 2004 AD.
"Two third of the countries – in the report – have scored below 50 with an average score of 43," according to the report. The CPI 2018 draws on 13 surveys and expert assessments to measure public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories. Since 2012, only 20 countries have significantly improved their scores, including Estonia and Côte D’Ivoire, and 16 have significantly declined, including, Australia, Chile and Malta.
"The inability to control corruption has threatened democracy across the world," it further reads, adding that highly corrupt countries are found to be repressive and authoritarian and curtail democratic practices. "Likewise, in lesser corrupt countries, there is rule of law, independent monitoring agencies, free press, and aware citizenry."
The CPI 2018 has also revealed that the continued failure of most countries, including Nepal, to significantly control corruption is contributing to a crisis of democracy around the world.
"With many democratic institutions under threat across the globe – often by leaders with authoritarian or populist tendencies – we need to do more to strengthen checks and balances and protect citizens’ rights,” managing director of TI Patricia Moreira said in a press release. "Corruption chips away at democracy to produce a vicious cycle, where corruption undermines democratic institutions and, in turn, weak institutions are less able to control corruption,” she added.
Transparency International has called on all governments to strengthen the institutions responsible for maintaining checks and balances over political power, and ensure their ability to operate without intimidation, close the implementation gap between anti-corruption legislation, practice and enforcement and support a free and independent media, and ensure the safety of journalists and their ability to work without intimidation or harassment to make real progress against corruption and strengthen democracy around the world.
Denmark – with a score of 88 – is the least corrupt country in the world, whereas Somalia – with a score of 10 – is the most corrupt country in the world followed by New Zealand – with a score of 87 – and Nepal joins the club of 124th position with Djibouti, Gabon, Kazakhstan and Maldives.
"The score received by Nepal on the index suggests that the situation of corruption is worrisome," TI-Nepal press note reads.

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