WINDHOEK – Namibia is ranked 55th out of 175 countries surveyed for perceived corruption in the public sector.
The ratings by Transparency International, an anti-corruption global movement are based on expert opinions from around the world.
The results are released in the 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index.
It measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide.
The report also paints an alarming picture on corruption in different countries in the world.
“Not one single country gets a perfect score and more than two-thirds score below 50, on a scale from 0 – highly corrupt; to 100 – very clean,” it stated.
Lesotho is also ranked in 55th place while South Africa is ranked 67th and Botswana 31st.
The same index places Botswana as the least corrupt country in Africa followed by Cape Verde in second place while Seychelles is in third place, Mauritius fourth, and Namibia and Lesotho are both fifth with a rating of 8.
North Korea and Somalia are ranked as the most corrupt countries in the world while Denmark and New Zealand were ranked as the least corrupt countries with ratings of 92 and 91, respectively.
The report indicates that corruption is a problem for all countries. A poor score is likely a sign of widespread bribery, lack of punishment for corruption and public institutions that do not respond to citizens’ needs.
“Countries at the top of the index also need to act. Leading financial centres in the European Union and the United States of America need to join with fast growing economies to stop the corrupt from getting away with it. The G20 needs to prove its global leadership role and prevent money laundering and stop secret companies from masking corruption,” reads the report. Transparency International has more than 100 chapters worldwide with an international secretariat in Berlin, Germany.
By Staff Reporter