Cyprus slipped to the 31st position in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 published Tuesday by Transparency International.
According to the Index Cyprus, received 63 points and ranked 31st among 177 countries. Cyprus was 29th in the 2012 CPI, 30th in 2011, 28th in 2010 and 27th in 2009. Among the 31 European countries that took part in the survey, Cyprus ranked 16th.
According to a press release issued by Transparency International Cyprus, the island-state slipped to the 31st position due to three main reasons: Corruption in relations of political parties with the business environment, the lack of regulations and will for setting up substantive prevention regulations, tracking and penalizing corruption and the economic crisis which favours corruption.
Transparency International Cyprus notes it timely highlighted the problems recorded in the survey and handed over to the government and the President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades a series of suggestions for their immediate correction.
Τransparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 offers a warning that the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery continue to ravage societies around the world.
More than two thirds of the 177 countries in the 2013 index score below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean).
“The Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 demonstrates that all countries still face the threat of corruption at all levels of government, from the issuing of local permits to the enforcement of laws and regulations,” said Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International.In the Corruption Perceptions Index 2013, Denmark and New Zealand tie for first place with scores of 91. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia this year make up the worst performers, scoring just 8 points each.
“The top performers clearly reveal how transparency supports accountability and can stop corruption,” said Labelle. “Still, the better performers face issues like state capture, campaign finance and the oversight of big public contracts which remain major corruption risks.”
The Corruption Perceptions Index is based on experts’ opinions of public sector corruption. Countries’ scores can be helped by strong access to information systems and rules governing the behaviour of those in public positions, while a lack of accountability across the public sector coupled with ineffective public institutions hurts these perceptions.
Furthermore, the six countries which topped the CPI index were Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Singapore, whereas Somalia, Sudan, North Korean and Afghanistan occupied the index`s last spots.
