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Bangladesh, Chad found 'most corrupt'
TOP
1. Iceland 9.7
2. Finland 9.6
3. New Zealand 9.6
4. Denmark 9.5
5. Singapore 9.4
6. Sweden 9.2
7. Switzerland 9.1
8. Norway 8.9
9. Australia 8.8
10. Austria 8.7

BOTTOM
144. Democratic Republic
of Congo 2.1
145. Kenya 2.1
146. Pakistan 2.1
147. Paraguay 2.1
148. Somalia 2.1
149. Sudan 2.1
150. Tajikistan 2.1
151. Angola 2.0
152. Ivory Coast 1.9
153. Equatorial Guinea 1.9
154. Nigeria 1.9
155. Haiti 1.8
156. Myanmar 1.8
157. Turkmenistan 1.8
158. Bangladesh 1.7
159. Chad 1.7
Serious levels of corruption in the public sector plague more than two-thirds of the world's nations and are undermining attempts to eradicate poverty, Transparency International said. Bangladesh and Chad topped the global watchdog's annual list of corruption levels in 159 countries. At the other end of the scale, Iceland was the least corrupt country.

Berlin-based Transparency International said on Tuesday more than two-thirds of the 159 nations on the list scored less than five out of 10, indicating serious levels of corruption. Peter Eigen, chairman of Transparency International, said corruption among public officials was worsening poverty in many developing countries. "The two scourges feed off each other, locking their populations in a cycle of misery," Eigen said. "Corruption must be vigorously addressed if aid is to make a real difference in freeing people from poverty."

In Dhaka, the Bangladesh government blamed the previous administration for being placed at the top of the corruption list for the fifth year in a row. Last year, Bangladesh shared its position with Haiti although the government rejected the watchdog's methodology, saying the index should be based on facts, not perceptions. Reacting to the 2005 index, Bangladesh Information Minister Shamsul Islam said there had been a steady reduction in corruption since the current government took power.
Posted by: Fred 2005-10-19
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=132544