Kingdom slips in TI’s graft index
For the fourth year in a row, Transparency International has rated Cambodia the country perceived as ASEAN’s most corrupt, and just ahead of North Korea and Afghanistan for the entire Asia-Pacific region. The 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index, which scores and ranks 176 countries and territories around the world, was released on January 25, placing Cambodia at 156. Cambodia’s score of 21 out of 100 has remained unchanged in three years. Denmark once again topped the list while Singapore maintained its position as the least corrupt country in Asia. “Cambodia continues to be perceived as highly corrupt,” Preap Kol, executive director of TI Cambodia, said on January 25. “While Cambodia remains the same, we see a big change in the region,” Kol added, noting improvements in the rankings of fellow ASEAN members Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos.
