Belgium keeps position in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index

Belgium has maintained its position in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, by taking 15th place in the top 15 countries whose public administration is the most transparent.
In publishing its 2015 report on Wednesday, the NGO Transparency International makes clear that more than six billion individuals live in a country where corruption is a serious problem.

Two-thirds of the 168 countries analysed by the NGO are “perceived as highly corrupt”, achieving a score of less than 50 on the scale of 0 to 100, in the public sector Corruption Perceptions Index.

Belgium is ranked 15th in the rankings with 77 points, holding its position compared to the previous year. The Nordic countries still lead the way with Denmark (on 91 points) dominating the rankings for the second consecutive year, followed by Finland (on 90 points) and Sweden (on 89 points).

These countries combine the key characteristics of freedom of the press, access to budgetary information, the integrity of politicians and fair and independent legal systems.

However, these traits are rare in the majority of countries and even more so in North Korea (lagging on eight points) and in Somalia (also on eight points), which have bombed in sharing last place. Just above them are Afghanistan (11 points), Sudan (12 points) and South Sudan on 15 points. All of these countries are plagued by conflicts.

Brazil (in 76th place) has seen the highest fall in its rankings, losing seven places, following the Petrobras oil scandal.

In Europe, the expert Anne Koch observes that corruption remains a “a serious challenge”, and points particularly to the worst culprits - the Hungarians (in 50th place) and the Polish (in 30th place) where politicians are increasingly taking institutions hostage “as a means of asserting their power.” This is a “worrying” trend from which the Balkan countries are not spared, elaborates the NGO’s Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.

(Source: Belga)


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