Transparency International (TI) has ranked Jordan 53rd on its 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), a setback from 40th last year.
However, TI sees the decline as “statistically insignificant”.
In its annual CPI, which covered the perceptions of public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories, Jordan scored 4.7, whereas in 2006 of the global watchdog scored the country at 5.3.
According to the 2007 CPI, Jordan ranked 5th in the Middle East along with Oman. Both countries were preceded by Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar and Israel respectively. Also in the region, Kuwait ranked 60, Saudi Arabia 79, Lebanon 99, Yemen 131, Libya 131, Iran 131, Syria 138 and Iraq 178.
The CPI is a composite index that draws on 14 expert opinion surveys. It scores countries on a scale from zero to 10, with zero indicating high levels of perceived corruption and 10 indicating low levels. It scores countries in terms of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.
Survey questions focused on corruption in the public sector and defined corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain. Surveys also included questions that related to the misuse of public power for private benefit, such as bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds or questions that probe the strength of anti-corruption policies, to make sure they encompass both administrative and political corruption.
According to this year's CPI, Somalia and Myanmar share the lowest score of 1.4 while Denmark has edged up to share the top score of 9.4 with perennial highflyers Finland and New Zealand.
Thats surprising to see Denmark at the top of the list, was it related to the Prophet Mohammad's insults in the media?
Over the past year the Kingdom has created an anti-corruption commission and endorsed several laws on the issue such as the Financial Disclosure Law, the Access to Information Law and a law criminalizing the practice of wasta (favouritism).
Jordan transparency forum described the Survey as "biased", disputed the results and stepped back from the TI.
What do you think about the survey?
1 comment:
Emad, very impressed with you blog. cant decide whether you are an architect or a journalist! ive read many of your blogs so forgive me for answering to all of them at once...
having lived in the west for a bit, i admire that you are trying to take the good out of it and send it back to amman, eg. no smoking, bikes, etc..
but remember that Amman will not tolerate girls on bikes! or girls in a festival. girls are afraid to walk down the street with the misbehaved way youth act towards girls wearing nice clothes.
this stay at home till you are too old to go out mentality has made our women FAT. and our streets almost bare of women.. except those brave few that really need to go shopping.
i think we need a lot of social reforms. we are not saudi arabia, but after spending time abroad and coming back to amman, why is it that i dont have that ... home sweet home feeling? its more like those creeps are all watching me feeling.
either way, you've brought to my attendion the transparency index and that i thank you for. always looking to learn something new.
as for freedom of speach in the press. i believe in it, though hate spreading is not a freedom. because it infringes on the freedom of others. constructive critisizm should be introduced in amman. and THAT day.. let's have a parade.. i'll be watching from home!
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