Countries across Southeast Europe have improved their score on the annual Corruption Perception Index.
According to Transparency International's (TI) 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index, all of the Southeast European countries have made progress over the past year. The list, released last week, ranks 180 countries on a scale from zero to ten -- zero indicating high levels of perceived corruption and ten indicating low levels of perceived corruption.
Several countries made major leaps forward. Macedonia, for instance, moved from 105th in 2006 to 84th, with 3.3 points. Albania climbed from 111th last year to 105th, with 2.9 points. Bosnia and Herzegovina shares 84th place with Macedonia, with 3.3 index points – up from 93rd in 2006. Serbia, which was 90th last year, moved up to 79th, with 3.4 points this year.
Croatia moved from 69th place to 64th, a spot it shares with Bulgaria. Both countries have 4.1 points. Montenegro and Kosovo are not ranked in the TI list.
"The concentration of gainers in Southeast and Eastern Europe testified to the galvanising effect of the EU accession process on the fight against corruption," the report says.
According to Sladjana Taseva, president of Transparency International -- Zero Corruption, the reference index is used by those who want information on a country when deciding on any kind of co-operation.
This can have very favourable implications in relation to economy building, says Taseva, whose organisation operates as a contact point in Macedonia for TI.
"Despite some gains, corruption remains an enormous drain on resources sorely needed for education, health and infrastructure," says TI head Huguette Labelle. "Low scoring countries need to take these results seriously and act now to strengthen accountability in public institutions."
The NGO recommends fighting corruption on a broad front. This, according to TI, includes strengthening governance institutions, corruption prevention as an integral part of poverty reduction programmes, judicial independence, integrity and accountability.
Furthermore, governments must introduce anti-money laundering measures to eradicate safe havens for stolen assets, TI says. (SETimes)
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