Corrupt Rank

Sept 26, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has slipped ten places in a global ranking of public sector corruption, the latest study by anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International shows. . The island was placed the 94th least transparent country among 180 nations in 2007, down from 84th place a year earlier in a corruption perceptions index which surveys the views of business people and economic analysts.

Within the South Asian region, the public sectors of Bhutan, India and Maldives were seen to be less corrupt than Sri Lanka.

The index gives a score of 10 for the cleanest country.

Somalia and Myanmar was viewed as the most corrupt with a score of 1.4, which was just ahead of Iraq with 1.5.

In first place were New Zealand, Denmark and Finland with a score of 9.4. Singapore and Sweden was placed fourth with a score of 9.3.

Poverty and Corruption

Despite some gains, corruption remains an enormous drain on resources sorely needed for education, health and infrastructure, Huguette Labelle, the head of Transparency International said in a statement.

"Low scoring countries need to take these results seriously and act now to strengthen accoun