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Transparency International releases index of corruption risks

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  • Transparency International releases index of corruption risks

    Transparency International releases index of corruption risks in
    defence sector of 82 countries

    TERT.AM
    15:25 ’ 29.01.13

    Seventy per cent of countries leave the door open to waste and
    security threats as they lack the tools to prevent corruption in the
    defence sector, according to the first ever index measuring how
    governments prevent and counter corruption in defence, released by
    Transparency International UK's Defence and Security Programme.

    Those with poor controls include two-thirds of the largest arms
    importers and half of the biggest arms exporters in the world.

    Germany and Australia are the only countries that have strong
    anti-corruption mechanisms according to the index, with measures in
    place such as robust parliamentary oversight of defence policy. Nine
    countries ΜΆ Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, DRC, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya,
    Syria, and Yemen ΜΆ exhibit critical risk, lacking basic measures such
    as controls to enable accountability, making institutionalisation of
    anti-corruption mechanisms in the sector near impossible. South
    America and Eastern Europe, on the other hand, show lower risk of
    corruption thanks to strong technical controls in areas such as
    administration of audits.
    The Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index analyses what 82
    countries do to reduce corruption risks. These countries accounted for
    94 per cent of the global military expenditure in 2011, equivalent to
    USD 1.6 trillion. Countries are scored in bands from very low risk (A)
    to critical risk (F) according to detailed assessment across 77
    indicators that cover five prominent risk areas in the sector:
    politics, finance, personnel, operations, and procurement.

    Transparency International calls on governments to make this
    traditionally secretive sector, which involves large public contracts,
    more open. Defence establishments should increase citizens' access to
    information about defence budgets and procurement. Legislators should
    have stronger controls and oversight of the sector, possessing the
    teeth and access to cut corruption down.

    Transparency International estimates the global cost of corruption in
    the defence sector to be a minimum of USD 20 billion per year, based
    on data from the World Bank and the Stockholm International Peace
    Research Institute (SIPRI). This equates to the total sum pledged by
    the G8 in 2009 to fight world hunger.

    The Index shows that only 15 per cent of governments assessed possess
    political oversight of defence policy that is comprehensive,
    accountable, and effective. In 45 per cent of countries there is
    little or no oversight of defence policy, and in half of nations there
    is minimal evidence of scrutiny of defence procurement.

    The study also finds that citizens are frequently denied basic
    knowledge about the defence sector. Half of the countries' defence
    budgets lack transparency entirely, or include only very limited,
    aggregated information. In 70 per cent of the countries, citizens are
    denied a simple indication of how much is spent by their government on
    secret items.

    The Index bands countries according to their level of risk of
    corruption. The risk of corruption is determined by the danger and
    extent of it occurring and by the frequency citizens may face it.

    BAND A - Very Low Risk (2 countries): Australia, Germany
    BAND B - Low Risk (7 countries): Austria, Norway, South Korea, Sweden,
    Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States
    BAND C - Moderate Risk (16 countries): Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria,
    Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary,
    Italy, Japan, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Spain
    BAND D+ - High Risk (15 countries): Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus,
    India, Israel, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Nepal, Serbia,
    Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, UAE
    BAND D- - High Risk (15 countries) Bangladesh, Belarus, China,
    Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan,
    Palestine, Russia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Turkey
    BAND E - Very High Risk (18 countries): Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cote
    d'Ivoire, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Philippines,
    Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uganda, Uzbekistan,
    Venezuela, Zimbabwe
    BAND F - Critical Risk (9 countries): Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, DRC,
    Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Syria, Yemen

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