Malta slips two places on enlarged corruption index
Malta has slipped two places in the 2011 global corruption index, published in Brussels this morning.
The country retained last year's score of 5.6 out of 10 in the survey, which this year includes five more countries, bringing the total to 183. This means that Malta's perceived corruption remained at the same level as last year - perceived the 39th least corrupt
According to the survey, based on assessments and data from various independent sources, the least corrupt country in this year's ranking is New Zealand, surpassing for the first time Denmark which always topped the ranking in past years.
On the other hand, Afghanistan and Myanmar share second to last place with a score of 1.5, with Somalia and North Korea - measured for the first time - coming in last with a score of one.
The CPI scores countries on a scale of zero to 10, with zero indicating high levels of corruption and 10, low levels. This year, two thirds of countries covered by the index were given scores less than five - which means they are considered significantly corrupt.
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Paul Borg
Dec 2nd 2011, 15:59
In Malta, the difference is that corruption is done in the open for everyone to suffer, while the Island is slipping in poverty and bankrupcy.
Peter Borg
Dec 2nd 2011, 14:18
What, only two places ?
Matt Borgde
Dec 2nd 2011, 00:00
Breaking News: According to a recent government publication there is no corruption in Malta.
Mary Ann Borg
Dec 1st 2011, 20:16
Perhaps this same organisation should also put forward the following question: How credible is the opposion in each and every country? I bet Lejber and Joseph will come out tops, dont you think?
Stephen Sultana
Dec 1st 2011, 20:37
Illum min jibqabad jitrressaq il-qorti u jiehu li haqqu. Fi zmien il-Lejber hadd ma kien jinqabad ghax hadd ma kien jissogra jirrapporta minhabba li il-korruzzjoni kienet tibqa tiela sa fuq nett.
Seamus Riolo
Dec 2nd 2011, 12:06
@Stephen Sultana
LOL Tajba kienet din sihbi, mela bhalisa kull had jejt u jgerger hlief xi erba bhalek jigru kem il qrati mux jatu sentenzi li haqom, Specalment wara bniedem li kabar erba pjanti tal cannabis jehel iktar min qasis li xeba jabuza it tfal jew iktar min minn itajar it tfal bil karozza taht abuzz ta droga!
Proset Stephen, haba nies bhalek nimxu il qudiem f dal pajjiez, ma nafx fejn ijed tara in nies jihdu li haqom fil qorti! ENLIGHTEN ME!
Victor Vella
Dec 2nd 2011, 21:36
@ Seamus Riolo
Seamus a man I know is at the moment undergoing proceedings in court for alleged corruption.He is a finished man, suspended from work on half pay, waiting for God knows how many years for his case to be heard, not knowing if he is going to be found guilty and go to prison or if he would be set free.believe me it is not easy even if you say that no one gets what he deserves.Speaking about cultivating cannabis, hm we all know what he was going to do with them.maybe you do not have a son or daughter to worry about. I will not mention Labour of the 70's and 80;s I will mention Labour of 96/98 where we had 3 clear cases of corruption.
Joe Grech
Dec 1st 2011, 19:05
Were the Maltese not assured that under this administration corruption would be weeded out; that the public sector would be properly reformed; that whistle blowers would be protected; that our law courts would really function responsibly (instead of - in some instances - providing ludicrous and shameful titbits to the distraught astonishment of most Maltese?)
Sadly all those vote-catching promises seem to have been forgotten! We taxpayers have to put up with an oversized parliament and a multitude of Local Councils the majority of which are not really attending to the needs of their locality. As for corruption that may be becoming institutionalised. Otherwise why are court cases taking many years? Why do serious environmental sacrileges continue to happen; why have the complaints of backbenchers been sealed through rather unorthodox means? The list is never-ending.
R. Abela
Dec 1st 2011, 19:04
Nice to remember last week GonziPn speech. " Iġġudikawni ukol fuq ir-riżultati li qed niksbu"
Stephen Grech
Dec 1st 2011, 19:00
A wise man once said ,
"Who ever does not fight corruption is a corrupt person himself".
Yet such statistic says it all.
Stephen Sultana
Dec 1st 2011, 20:38
In fact there are many countries which are much more corrupt than ours. So we are in fact doing something about it.
Charles Massa
Dec 1st 2011, 18:02
Excellent certificate for GONZIPN
Stephen Sultana
Dec 1st 2011, 17:48
Too bad we didn't have these statistics in the 1970s and 1980s. It would have been interesting to see how Malta compares under MLP and PN administrations. There was a time when people went about with a Lira in their driving license and when the only way to get everthing from a colour TV to government housing was by paying a bribe.
David Bezzina
Dec 1st 2011, 23:46
THAT IS THE PAST....THE PEOPLE VOTED THAT ADMINISTRATION OUT.TIME TO DO THE SAME TO THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION.CORRUPTION IS NOT EXCUSABLE IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
pat muscat
Dec 1st 2011, 17:33
Each year the can of worms is getting bigger and bigger under GonziPN!
Stephen Sultana
Dec 1st 2011, 18:07
And your metaphors are getting worse.
victor bonello
Dec 1st 2011, 16:16
lol.. so finally someone has noticed what we cannot prove.. CORRUPTION!
Well so much for our National Ego - we rank more corrupt the Bostwana and Taiwan.. on the level of Puerto Rico! nice credentials for MR Gonzis team!!!
joseph saliba
Dec 1st 2011, 17:10
Something worth celebrating? Percieved corruption not of 'Mr Gonzi team' who came unscathed out of two years BWSC bombardment. Perception from talk like yours and certain media reporting. Perception which at times might be a perversion of the truth. Maybe Botswana and Taiwan enjoy the same transparency as 1970 to 80 Malta, that's why their perceived corroption is lower than here.
Mario Grima
Dec 1st 2011, 16:10
Nice certificate you got Dr. Gonzi. What's bad about this is that his government's actions have tarnished every Maltese individual.
Steve Mizzi
Dec 1st 2011, 15:52
"Lies, damn lies and statistics."
The US is listed as one of the least corrupt countries when they have institutionalised it in the form of Lobbying, with some Lobbyists having budgets of 10s of millions of dollars to fight for the interests of the companies and industries that they represent. Does anyone remember the air re-fuelling tanker saga?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/business/global/13tanker.html
And what about the contracts that Haliburton got in Iraq:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halliburton#Controversies
How about the bullying that takes place by the larger nations of this world to force weaker nations to favour bidders from the aforementioned larger countries when it comes to awarding high value contracts?
The UK on the other hand still depends on the old school tie system.
The reality is that all countries and political systems in this world are to varying degrees corrupt, the only variable is the sophistication involved.
Carmel Cilia
Dec 1st 2011, 16:15
Lies Mr. Vella , damned lies, do you really think so? Just take MEPA for example and go and have a look at Wied Ghajn Zejtuna in Mellieha. This is supposed to be a bungalow area: go and see for yourself Buildings on a single plot: 6 storeys high: two semi detached on a single plot with double garages in between: corruption galore: you would have fourteen courses basements with thirteen courses first storey and then to crown it all a n eleven courses washroom with another 6 courses for the lift. Corruption galore my friend. In the same area I was not allowed to erect a Nine course high garage for a small car 10ft X20ft because they said this was a bangalow area.
At the same time today two Somalies were awarded 10,000 euros each for breaking their constitutional rights.
You can slice corruption today like you slice a block of butter my friend.
Victor Laiviera
Dec 1st 2011, 15:05
If only they knew ......
Paul Micallef
Dec 1st 2011, 14:57
Tiskanta kif certu nies jaraw kollox blu! Possibbli Li s Sur Ernest Vella ma jistax isib iktar skuzi biex jaqbez ghal siehbu Gonzi u jghid ic cucati? Possibbli li s sur B Azzopardi ma jafx x inhu jigri madwaru meta qal dic ic cucata? Ma jiftakarx li kienu taw mahfra presidenzjali lil traffikant tad droga dawn fost l ohrajn!!!!!!
john grima
Dec 1st 2011, 14:47
That's very interesting when EU oranizations in Brussels and all the commissions etc. are all nothing but corrupt and they're giving statements about others. Connections of the EU politicians with big business like banks etc.
What we're talking in Malta is petty cash, couple of thousands maybe couple of hundreds of thousands of EUR. In Brussels, the figures ranks from 7 digits up and the sky is the limit.
Paul Attard
Dec 1st 2011, 14:47
I think this data is not a bad reflection on Malta. 39th out of 183 is a good result even if we slipped a couple places. Room to improve certainly but not bad. B+ in my opinion.
Joseph Calleja
Dec 1st 2011, 14:41
Believe none of what you hear and only believe half of what you see. Especially when it comes to surveys.
Frank Muscat
Dec 1st 2011, 14:39
Corruption in Malta? Are they joking.
Charles Sammut
Dec 1st 2011, 14:37
Bureaucracy and corruption, the pimp and the prostitute. It doesn't lose much in translation does it?
Mr charles azzopardi
Dec 1st 2011, 14:30
I see it very similar to our eurovision song contest results .. guess the similarity .. ?
We got in Eu and then we were not competitive anymore ...
Mr Duncan Scerri
Dec 1st 2011, 14:21
Where are they getting their data from? I was never quizzed...were you?
In terms of corruption, I'd place Malta right in the thick of it.
Paul Meilak
Dec 1st 2011, 14:19
On the picture shown above, I can see that Netherlands are among the least corrupt. We all know that certain drugs in the mentioned country are not illegal... therefore it depends about what these statistics are based on ..what is illegal and legal or what is wrong or very bad ..
Paul Attard
Dec 1st 2011, 14:45
You assume that because they are legal there must be something wrong with the data? Rather it is because they are legal that the level of corruption is low. Think about it.
Arsenio Ellul
Dec 1st 2011, 14:17
We have fallen by 14positions from the year 2005, how's that for progress?
Charles Vella
Dec 1st 2011, 14:14
I wish such indexes and research existed before 1987... Malta would be sky high ...but now, all is open, nothing is cencored... And such comments from lejber is what you get... What a cheeck they are!
Anthony Farrugia
Dec 1st 2011, 13:58
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/dec/01/corruption-index-2011-transparency-international
This is not an Eurostat statistic but is issued by Transparency International;so leave EU out of discussion !
It seems our near neighbours to the North are in a worse position so let's count our blessings.
It seems that anything that goes wrong in Malta is the fault of the EU, Arriva or Franco Debono (could be right in this case !) !
Gustav Svensson
Dec 1st 2011, 13:40
Malta ta, there are a few lists were Malta is among the top contenders, corruption, fat population, pollution, bird shooting, tuna extinction..not bad for a small island..
Anthony Formosa
Dec 1st 2011, 15:21
Mr Svensson, So what makes you joining the club?
M Sciberras
Dec 1st 2011, 16:26
As The Wise Mam said, the benefit of living on a small island is that the airport and a plane to Sweden is not far away (hint, hint, nudge nudge)
Matthew Galea Debono
Dec 1st 2011, 13:27
quid custodiet ipsos custodiam?
I'm just saying it would be ironic if the persons measuring this corruption index were themselves being corrupted
John Vella
Dec 1st 2011, 13:37
well said. You need a thief to catch a thief.
George Azzopardi
Dec 1st 2011, 14:13
@Matthew Galea Debono ./ John Vella
this is the result of 25 years of PN .. no matter what you say!!!
Rod Enderby
Dec 1st 2011, 13:20
The EU is not corrupt of course and the accounts are in correct order and signed off by auditors every year. Yeah, right!
Mr Joseph Scicluna
Dec 1st 2011, 13:35
like, like, like!!!!!!!
Mr Tony Gatt
Dec 1st 2011, 15:56
We wish!!
John Schembri
Dec 1st 2011, 13:16
Would we see our index going higher if a coal fired power station is bought by Malta for a Billion Euro without a tendering process and promoted on a political party’s media like it has been done for the past weeks?
Mr Aaron Sammut
Dec 1st 2011, 16:01
Might be...... it would be interesting to check what happened when:
The government issued an application to tender for companies able to built a GAS POWER STATION....... somehow a company offering a power plant running on Heavy Fuel Oil tendered when it didn't even qualify.
This application was not only accepted when it should have been rejected, but our cabinet met urgently to allow this company to be eligible...... the rest is history!!! including the 4 million Euro paid in ....in inverted commas COMMISION!!
Wake up.... these are the things that happen in the 180th place in the Corruption List, we should be well below our position
j brincat
Dec 1st 2011, 12:57
@George Calleja
Quote: "The EU should make better use of its finances then come out with such stupid statistics. It says that Malta slipped two places when five new countries were included. This when Malta kept last year's score. T I ask, what would Malta's place be when under a Labour government? Amongst the last ten countries?"
EU is the magical dream promised by EFA in his 'Rebbiegha Gdida'.
Now EU is judging the present PN government and NOT the PL. As regards a future PL government we would cross the bridge when we eventually come to it!
(jb)
George Calleja
Dec 1st 2011, 12:45
The EU should make better use of its finances then come out with such stupid statistics. It says that Malta slipped two places when five new countries were included. This when Malta kept last year's score. T I ask, what would Malta's place be when under a Labour government? Amongst the last ten countries?
W Cassar
Dec 1st 2011, 12:53
No probably the same though.
Mr F J Brincat
Dec 1st 2011, 13:06
Yes you may ask but, have you got an answer for the present situation?
Ramon Casha
Dec 1st 2011, 13:09
Where did the EU come in?
As for your second question, for all we know under a Labour government Malta could fare better or worse. We won't know until next election.
C. Sammut
Dec 1st 2011, 13:14
Shame on you for throwing such bad light on a government which hasn't been in office in over 20 years instead of admitting the present government's deficiencies!! Yours is another blue blinkered argument!
Stephen Grech
Dec 1st 2011, 13:24
Mr Calleja,
This statistic does not distinguish between Nationalist or PL, but as a whole country.
The latest trend is that when positive statistics are published we praise the PN and when negative ones crop up we implicate PL.
Well IMHO who rules this country should face all comments and statistics being positive or negative.
Good day.
Paul Micallef
Dec 1st 2011, 13:40
You can always ask Commissioner John Dalli or Nationalist MP Franco Debono
B Azzopardi
Dec 1st 2011, 14:23
@ C. Sammut
There's no shame. Yes the Pn has been in government for over 20 years but we're still suffering the consequences of MLP.
Paul Micallef
Dec 1st 2011, 14:54
B Azzopardi: Ghax ma tghidx li qed inbaghtu l konsegwenzi tal 'money no problem' u tal korruzzjoni grassa li gab il partit li int tant int ferventi ghalih! Hallina trid!
W Cassar
Dec 1st 2011, 15:32
@ B Azzopardi
I can only shake my head in disbelief at your comment!
I guess with your same logic... I can say the PN has done very little mela?
Charles Cremona
Dec 1st 2011, 12:44
Its shameful for Malta to be in this position, we claim to be a democratic European country and yet we are classed as a corrupt country by the International community.
Victor Boyde
Dec 1st 2011, 13:50
Mr Cremona, you are wearing blinkers and only seeing what's ahead of you. There are many pointers and statistics are their to prove the facts.
Angus Black
Dec 1st 2011, 18:00
Can you imagine at what position Malta would be, if the authors of institutionalized corruption who wrote Malta's history pages between 1971 and 1987, were governing today?
I am sure that the dinosaurs brought back to life by Joseph will have borrowed a few pages from the 'golden years'.
V Mercieca
Dec 1st 2011, 12:33
why are we always near the top of the list or moving backwards when there is something negative?
Is there something positive that we are close to the top of the list?
Mr Ernest Vella
Dec 1st 2011, 13:05
we are on top...fic-cuccatti li jghid Joseph Muscat!!!
Peter Seebohm
Dec 1st 2011, 13:27
Dear Mr. or Misses Mercieca
Knowing almost all countries in Europe, we decided to come to Malta.
See it as a positive list.
No country is perfect, but Malta is so special. We love it.
Corruption? Should be a NO GO, but it´s even present in the ritched countries on the world.
Julian Borg
Dec 1st 2011, 13:41
We are in the top quarter meaning we are in the least corrupt 20% of countries.....which is positive not negative!
Paul Micallef
Dec 1st 2011, 14:51
Sur Vella, ghax ma tghidx fuq ic cucati li jaghmel siehbek Gonzi! L aktar il 500 euro zieda li ha u lilna jissikkalna c cintorin!
Mary Ann Borg
Dec 1st 2011, 15:20
'Is there something positive that we are close to the top of the list?'
Yes, the only positive we have on this island is the leader of the opposition for his foresight and l-Orizzont for best reporting on earth.