Statement by Bahrain Transparency Society (BTS) on Transparency International Report
BTS announced today that The Kingdom of Bahrain has realized slight progress in the score of Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released on 23 Sep 2008 by Transparency International (TI), covering 180 countries, of which 18 Middle Eastern countries.
Bahrain ranked 43 on CPI scale with 5.4 points out of 10 points score, which measures the corruption perception and not corruption itself. It defines corruption as “The abuse of delegated authority for personal interests”. It lists the contraries accordingly from Zero (maximum corruption ) to Ten (minimum corruption). The index is based on set of data and indicators, from different sources, especially business persons on the perception of corruption.
BTS while appraising positively the slight progress of The Kingdom of Bahrain in CPI, ranking 43 compared to 46in 2007, still need sustained and serious efforts to accomplish satisfactory position, which is the objective of both BTS an TI, through joint efforts of propagating awareness of the serious damage incurred by rampant corruption.
BTS call for the accomplishment of this objective through the intensification of the efforts for reform, to activate combating corruption and to foster transparency among the officials an the citizens alike, in order to promote the culture of transparency and integrity. BTS is embarking on detailing The Project on National Report on Transparency In The Public Sector, according to the TI criteria on transparency, integrity, and anti-corruption.
On this occasion, BTS calls for quick ratification of The International Convention Against Corruption by The Kingdom of Bahrain, signed on 8/2/2005, where it would be a strong base to foster the efforts of countering corruption. It calls for legislating laws and codes, urgently needed, to embark on combating corruption, especially Law on Financial Clearance of leading officials in the public sector, Law on Establishment of Anti-Corruption Agency, Law on Safeguarding State Property, Law on Interests Conflict, and Law on Access to Information and to amend the current Law on Tender.
In order to strengthen the monitoring process and means, BTS call for the establishment of Bureau of Administrative Monitoring, and to bolster the authority of The Bureau of Financial Monitoring. BTS ascertain the accountability and monitoring role of The Parliament, the civil society organizations and the media, to encounter the well established corruption, embezzlement and cronyism in the state and the society in Bahrain.
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