Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI): Bhutan Ranks Top in SAARC Countries

Today, a click on the link posted in Facebook wall took me to the Transparency International (TI) homepage. Immediately, I started searching the name of my country in the list of Corruption Perception Index 2011. To my expectation, I scrolled all the way bottom of the table and read the table bottom up. Nepal ranks 54th but this rank didn't stop me searching further more. I wanted to compare the rank of Nepal with previous year and SAARC countries. What a pity! Nepal is the most corrupt country among the founding members of SAARC. It has fell eight positions down this year and stood 154th among 182 countries in the world. Nepal scored just 2.2 out of 10. The CPI ranges from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (clean). TI consider countries with score of 3 or less are "Corrupt Country". Nepal is raising its ranks every year in the list of corrupt country. Only Afghanistan ranks below Nepal in SAARC region. 

Figure: CPI Rank of Nepal in the World (Data source: Transparency International)

To my surprise, Bhutan with a CPI score of 5.7 stands best among SAARC countries. It is also among the least corrupt country in Asia Pacific region. This small kingdom in Himalaya ranks 7th in Asia Pacific region and 38th in the world . The country ranked 49 with a CPI score 5.0 in 2009. What a great achievement by Bhutan! We Nepalese and other SAARC countries have to learn from Bhutan. 

New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Bhutan, South Korea, Brunei, and Macau secure places in the top ten in Asia Pacific region. The emerging economic giants in the region, China and India, rank 75^th and 95^th. Afghanistan (180), Myanmar (180), and North Korea (182) rank bottom globally, with scores of 1.5, 1.5 and 1 respectively. Number in parenthesis indicates global ranking. 

Table: Corruption Perception Index 2011 SAARC countries (Source: Transparency International)

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SAARC Rank	Global Rank	Country	Score	Region Rank	Region
1	38	Bhutan	5.7	7	Asia Pacific
2	86	Sri Lanka	3.3	16	Asia Pacific
3	95	India	3.1	17	Asia Pacific
4	120	Bangladesh	2.7	22	Asia Pacific
5	134	Maldives	2.5	26	Asia Pacific
6	134	Pakistan	2.5	26	Asia Pacific
7	154	Nepal	2.2	29	Asia Pacific
8	180	Afghanistan	1.5	33	Asia Pacific

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My Thought

The only way to improve our situation is to work together with all political parties, governments and civil society. I have following ideas/points in my mind at this moment;

* Value based education school to university (let everyone realize that corruption is worse than robbery/prostitution; heavy emphasis on social service; Nepal needs honest people than intelligent).

* Comfortable salary necessary for good living to civil servants, law makers, ministers etc (human being or animal can do anything in a survival mode; let them provide comfortable living environment).

* Serious punishment and rapid court hearing (both long term imprisonment and heavy fine/penalty)

* Implementation of National Security Number (NSN) to keep track of income, taxes, and personal history.

Click here for complete report: Corruption Perceptions Index: Transparency International