Wednesday, 4 December 2013

The index scores and ranks 177 countries and territories from around the world on the perceived level of corruption in the public sector, from 0, being very corrupt, to 100, being very clean.

Some key facts for the 2013 index include:

  • 70% of countries score less than 50 out of 100, with 43 out of 100 being the average score worldwide
  • Denmark and New Zealand remain in first place as having the lowest perceived public service corruption
  • Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia remain at the bottom of the index, having the highest perceived public service corruption
  • Australia has fallen from the seventh to the ninth cleanest country with a score of 81 out of 100, a decline from 85 last year.

“Although Australia has again ranked relatively clean in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2013, business is by no means immune from corruption. Those operating in high risk countries must have in place adequate procedures to ensure they do the right thing. At the same time, we must not forget recent corruption scandals that have happened here,” said The Hon Roger Gyles AO QC, Chairman of Transparency International Australia. 

So you operate in a country with a high perception of corruption. What next? In our recent issue of Forensic Matters 13-04: Actions speak louder than words, our corruption and fraud risk specialists provided an overview of their recent experiences advising ASX-listed and other companies how to mitigate the regulatory risks associated with bribery and corruption.

Some practical suggestions discussed at Tuesday's launch event included:

  • translating anti-corruption policies and guidelines into local language
  • implementing a whistleblower hotline for employees to report corrupt conduct
  • updating training content with hypothetical examples of local bribery and corruption risks
  • providing employees with guidance on how to resist demands for bribes
  • conducting risk assessments and anti-corruption compliance reviews in-country.

To read Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 publication, please click here.