According to the annual report from Transparency International, the Czech Republic’s corruption perception index (CPI) score is unchanged from last year, meaning the country ranks as the 49th least corrupt, equal with Malta and Mauritius. Credit: Transparency International
Czech Republic, Jan 27 (BD) – The CPI scored 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, according to experts and business people. Of these, the Czech Republic ranked in 49th place, equal with Malta and Mauritius. Although the Czech Republic’s score of 54 is above the global average (43), it is below the average in the Western Europe & the European Union (66).
According to Transparency International, the Czech Republic still lacks vital laws to protect whistleblowers, lobbyists and civil servants, and the country’s lack of progress in tackling corruption is due to a lack of political will. The NGO proposes the creation of a new anti-corruption office to address the flaws in Czech anti-corruption strategy. Former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) criticised the report, claiming his government had eradicated corruption from high-level politics during its four years in power.
Out of 179 countries and territories with information available, the CPI score improved in 25 countries and declined in 23 countries, while it stayed the same in 131 countries, including the Czech Republic. Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand shared 1st place in the ranking, while South Sudan was at the bottom of the list, followed by Somalia and Syria.
