Although corruption is still rife globally, there was hope in 2015, according to a pressure group. In the latest edition of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, two-thirds of the 168 countries on the 2015 index scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean).
In places like Guatemala, Sri Lanka and Ghana, citizen activists in groups and on their own worked hard to drive out the corrupt, sending a strong message that should encourage others to take decisive action in 2016, the anti-corruption campaigners say.
José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International, said: “Corruption can be beaten if we work together. To stamp out the abuse of power, bribery and shed light on secret deals, citizens must together tell their governments they have had enough.
“The 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index clearly shows that corruption remains a blight around the world. But 2015 was also a year when people again took to the streets to protest corruption. People across the globe sent a strong signal to those in power: it is time to tackle grand corruption.”
TI defined grand corruption as the abuse of high-level power that benefits the few at the expense of the many, and causes serious and widespread harm to individuals and society. It often goes unpunished.
Transparency International is calling on all to take action by voting at unmaskthecorrupt.org. The campaign groups says that it wants to know which cases the public most believe merit urgent attention to send a message.
Brazil was the biggest decliner in the index, falling 5 points and dropping 7 positions to a rank of 76. The unfolding Petrobras scandal brought people into the streets in 2015 and the start of judicial process may help Brazil stop corruption, TI said.
Denmark took the top spot, that is, perceived as least corrupt; for a second year; with North Korea and Somalia the worst performers, scoring just eight points each. Big decliners in the past four years include Libya, Australia, Brazil, Spain and Turkey; big improvers include Greece, Senegal and UK.
