Corruption Perceptions index bolsters Malta’s ‘clean’ image

Malta has improved its ranking in Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index for 2010, going up to 37th position from 45 last year in the list of least corruption countries.

The ranking comes in the midst of an ongoing saga on alleged corruption in the award of the €200 million Delimara power station extension contract, and infringement procedures launched against the Maltese government by the European Commission on an irregular change of emission laws that benefited BWSC, the Danish firm that won the contract.

Of note however is the fact that the TI index for Malta is based on just three surveys: the Global Risk Service by IHS Global Insight for 2009, and the 2009 and 2010 Global Competitiveness reports by the World Economic Forum, whose Malta partner is the Competitive Malta foundation, funded by Bank of Valletta, EMCS, HSBC and many other major corporations and firms.

Last year, TI gave Malta an average 5.2 score, but dropped it nine places down the corruption index from last year to number 45. Italy was placed at number 63, alongside Saudi Arabia – not nice to be ranked alongside one of the most undemocratic regimes of the world.

On an EU level, Malta is being perceived at the 17th least corrupt member state out of the 27 with Italy, Poland and Hungary ranking in much worse positions than Malta.

The Corruption Index report for 2010 places Denmark and New Zealand as the least corrupt countries in the world.

On the other hand the most perceived corrupt countries this year are Afghanistan, Myanmar and Somalia.

The 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that nearly three quarters of the 178 countries in the index score below five, on a scale from 10 (very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt). These results indicate a serious corruption problem.

Transparency International (TI) defines corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. This definition encompasses corrupt practices in both the public and private sectors. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranks countries according to perception of corruption in the public sector. The CPI is an aggregate indicator that combines different sources of information about corruption, making it possible to compare countries.

The 2010 CPI draws on different assessments and business opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions. It captures information about the administrative and political aspects of corruption. Broadly speaking, the surveys and assessments used to compile the index include questions relating to bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds, and questions that probe the strength and effectiveness of public sector anti-corruption efforts.

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