Barbados top-rated Caribbean country on international corruption index

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Wednesday December 5, 2012 – Barbados is rated as the top Caribbean country with Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tied for first place according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2012.

According to the international organisation, corruption continues to ravage societies around the world with bribery, abuse of power and secret dealings still rampant in many countries.

It said that two thirds of the 176 countries ranked in the 2012 Index scored below 50, on a scale from zero, perceived to be highly corrupt, to 100 perceived to be very clean.

Transparency International said the findings show that public institutions need to be more transparent, and powerful officials more accountable.

“Governments need to integrate anti-corruption actions into all public decision-making. Priorities include better rules on lobbying and political financing, making public spending and contracting more transparent and making public bodies more accountable to people,” said Huguette Labelle, the Chair of Transparency International.

While Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tied for first place with scores of 90, Barbados topped the Caribbean, placing 15th with a score of 76.

The Bahamas and St. Lucia tied for 22nd position with a score of 71, followed by St. Vincent and the Grenadines in position 36 with a score of 62.

Dominica was ranked 41st with a score of 58, Trinidad and Tobago placed 80th with a score of 39 followed by Jamaica in position 83 with a score of 38.

Transparency International placed Suriname in position 88 with a score of 37, followed by Guyana in position 133 with a score of 28.

Haiti, still recovering from the powerful earthquake of 2010 that killed more than 300,000 people, was ranked 165th  with a score of 19. (CMC)

SIURCE: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/trinidad_tobago_news/641302.html#ixzz2EEE5S3L1