Government and citizens urged to increase efforts in the fight against corruption
Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2012 shows corruption continues to ravage societies around the world. Two thirds of the 176 countries ranked in the 2012 index score below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean), showing that public institutions need to be more transparent and accountable. Governments need to integrate anti-corruption actions into all public decision-making. Mechanisms to detect and investigate corruption must be strengthened and followed through by appropriate legal actions through independent courts.
“Fighting corruption requires unwavering political will and determination of the government in terms of having an adequate legal framework and governance mechanisms that minimise the opportunity for corruption along with consistent enforcement. At the end of the day, it is the enforcement that matters”, said Mr. Rath Sophoan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Transparency International Cambodia.
Corruption Perceptions Index 2012: The result for Cambodia
Cambodia ranks 157 out of 176 countries in the 2012 index with a score of 22 showing a slight improvement compared to the 2011 results. We commend all stakeholders for the recent efforts they have made towards tackling corruption in Cambodia.
The CPI score for 2012 indicates that Cambodia is still perceived as a highly corrupt country. For corruption to be reduced in Cambodia there is a need for further progress in the enforcement of the Anti-Corruption Law and an increase in the capacity and outreach of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) to effectively investigate corruption cases and bring them to court.
It is observed that many Cambodians are yet to be aware of the Anti-Corruption Law and how it affects their lives. Therefore the government, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders should work together to enhance the understanding and enforcement of the law. To ensure greater transparency and accountability, we urge the Government to pass the Law of Access to Information to enable better access to important information about budgets, public procurement and bidding processes and other important financial decision-making as well as to improve the effectiveness of the anti-corruption law enforcement.
"Fighting corruption requires a joint effort by all stakeholders but especially the citizens. We strongly encourage the people of Cambodia to wake up and speak out. We need a stronger demand for transparency and accountability. Strong people engagement in the fight against corruption will strengthen such demand and allow people to free themselves from committing acts of corruption such as paying a facilitation fee or bribe,” said Mr Preap Kol, Executive Director of Transparency International Cambodia.
“The Corruption Perceptions Index 2012 results prove that Cambodian citizens continue to pay the high cost of corruption which is a systematic issue in Cambodia and has a devastating impact on their livelihood, especially the poor. All Cambodians should have access to decent healthcare and education without paying bribes or facilitation fees,” stated Mr Preap Kol, Executive Director of Transparency International Cambodia.
Additional information about the CPI 2012 can be downloaded from our website
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