People believe most governments are corrupt

(CNS): Corruption continues to plague many countries around the world, Transparency International said last week as it published its 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index. The report shows governments are failing to protect citizens from corruption, be it abuse of public resources, bribery or secretive decision-making. The index scores 183 countries from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean), based on perceived levels of public sector corruption. It uses data from 17 surveys that look at factors such as enforcement of anti-corruption laws, access to information and conflictsof interest.  Two thirds of ranked countries scored less than 5. In the Caribbean Barbados scored 7.8, compared to 3.3 for Jamaica.

Transparency International warned that protests around the world, often fuelled by corruption and economic instability, clearly showed that citizens feel their leaders and public institutions are neither transparent nor accountable enough.

“This year we have seen corruption on protestors’ banners be they rich or poor. Whether in a Europe hit by debt crisis or an Arab world starting a new political era, leaders must heed the demands for better government,” said Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International.

New Zealand ranks first, followed by Finland and Denmark. Somalia and North Korea (included in the index for the first time) are last. Meanwhile, in the Caribbean Barbados has the lowest perceived level of public sector corruption in CARICOM, scoring of 7.8, higher than the United States and the same as the United Kingdom. The Bahamas is second followed by St Lucia, while Jamaica scored a lowly 3.3, even worse than China, which managed a 3.6.  Haiti was the worst in the region, scoring only 1.8 out of ten. As an overseas territory, the Cayman Islands was not listed

“2011 saw the movement for greater transparency take on irresistible momentum, as citizens around the world demand accountability from their governments. High-scoring countries show that over time efforts to improve transparency can, if sustained, be successful and benefit their people,” said Transparency International Managing Director, Cobus de Swardt.

Eurozone countries suffering debt crises, partly because of public authorities’ failure to tackle the bribery and tax evasion that are key drivers of debt crisis, are among the lowest-scoring EU countries.