Corruption Perception Index 2016: Georgia Has Lowest Corruption Rate in Region

The global anti-corruption organization, Transparency International (TI), released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2016 on January 25, claiming that Georgia has the lowest corruption rate in the region.

CPI showed that Georgia’s score is 57 and is ranked 44th among 176 countries, which is the best indicator in Eastern Europe and the Central Asian region, except for European Union member states.

In the Corruption Perception Index 2012, Georgia had 52 points (51th place), in 2013 - 49 points (55th place), in 2014 - 52 points (50th place), in 2015 - 52 points (48th place).

TI says that over two-thirds of the 176 countries and territories in this year's index fall below the midpoint of their scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The global average score is a paltry 43, indicating endemic corruption in the country's public sector.

CPI showed that more countries declined than improved in this year's results, showing the urgent need for committed action to thwart corruption.

“In too many countries, people are deprived of their most basic needs and go to bed hungry every night because of corruption, while the powerful and corrupt enjoy lavish lifestyles with impunity,” said José Ugaz, the Chair of TI.

Although Georgia’s score in the annual CPI has slightly improved, TI says some measures need to be carried out in Georgia, in order to further eliminate corruption:

• Informal influence on state institutions should be eliminated and public and private sectors should be effectively separated;

• An independent, anti-corruption agency should be created;

• Independency and political impartiality of judicial authorities and law enforcement agencies should be ensured;

• Independent, professional civil service should be created which will be free from nepotism and political influence;

• The independency of supervisory and regulatory institutions should be strengthened;

• Effective, anti-corruption mechanisms should be created in state enterprises;

• Journalists who reveal corruption facts should be supported and proper measures should be carried out based on their obtained information.

The 2016 report revealed that the corruption perception level is lowest in Denmark and New Zealand, and highest in Somalia, Syria, North Korea and South Sudan.

The Corruption Perceptions Index was established in 1995 as a composite indicator used to measure perceptions of corruption in the public sector in different countries around the world. The Corruption Perceptions Index aggregates data from a number of different sources that provide perceptions of business people and country experts of the level of corruption in the public sector.

During the past 20 years, both the sources used to compile the index and the methodology have been adjusted and refined.

Thea Morrison