KATHMANDU, Feb 11: Nepal ranked 107th out of 180 countries and territories in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024, with a score of 34 out of 100.
Transparency International Nepal (TIN) made public the new report at a press conference organized in Kathmandu on Tuesday. According to the report, Nepal’s score last year was 35. The result points out the need to take effective action against corruption.
In the CPI released by Transparency International, Bhutan has scored 72 and ranks overall 18th among the 180 countries while India and the Maldives both rank 96 with an identical score of 38; Sri Lanka ranks 121 with a score of 32; Pakistan ranks 135 with a score of 27; Bangladesh ranks 151 with a score of 23; and Afghanistan ranks 165 with a score of 17. China has scored 43 points and ranks 76th.
Madan Krishna Sharma, chairperson of the TIN, said that Denmark has been among the least corrupt countries in the world, scoring 90 points in this index for the past seven consecutive years. Similarly, South Sudan is ranked the most corrupt country with a score of 8.
According to Sharma, although Nepal has made some improvements in the World Bank survey this year, data from surveys by the World Economic Forum and Global Insight show that corruption has increased in government and business-related activities such as exports, taxes, contracting, and imports, as well as in judicial decisions.
The report has cited increased corruption in import/export, public services, tax payments and contracts behind Nepal's soaring corruption. Although Nepal has made a slight improvement in areas like government accountability and resource management, bribery in business and contracts has worsened further. Surveys from global organizations, including the World Bank and World Economic Forum, indicate rising concerns over political financing and electoral spending, which may be fueling corruption.
Considering a 10-year record, Nepal scored 27, 29, 31, 31, 34, 33, 33, 34, 35, and 34 from 2015 to 2024, respectively. In order to control corruption, TI Nepal has suggested increasing commitment to integrity in the political sector, taking impartial action against bribery and corruption in the government sector, ensuring a fair judicial process, and taking effective steps to control corruption related to the business sector.
In the CPI released on Tuesday, Nepal has scored one point lower than the previous year (2023). Last year, Nepal had scored 35 out of a total of 100 points. This year, it has scored only 34 points. The CPI assigns higher scores to countries with less corruption and lower scores to countries with more corruption.
Despite Nepal's higher score last year, it was ranked 108th. This year, it has scored only 34 points, but its position has dropped to 107th.
Transparency International considers countries with a score of less than 50 to be corrupt. According to this, Nepal is ranked among the corrupt countries.
Transparency International measures corruption through a survey based on six different indicators. It prepares the CPI based on surveys and questions asked about corruption, good governance, and bribery in studies conducted by various organizations.