Moldova did not make progress in preventing and combating corruption

Moldova ranks 112th out of 183 countries in Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perception Index. According to TI-Moldova, the country did not take sufficient measures to visibly influence the situation as regards the prevention and combating of corruption, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Corruption Perception Index in Moldova was determined on the basis of eight studies. The score remained the same as last year – 2.9. But the position in the rankings has changed. Last year, Moldova ranked 108th out of 178 countries, TI-Moldova expert Ianina Spinei told a news conference. The index scores 183 countries and territories from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean) based on perceived levels of public sector corruption. It uses data from 17 surveys that look at factors such as enforcement of anticorruption laws, access to information and conflicts of interest. Ianina Spinei said in 2011 Moldova made positive changes as regards the legal anticorruption framework. Amendments were made to the Law on the Conflicts of Interest and the Law on the Public Servant’s Code of Conduct. There was adopted the national anticorruption strategy for 2011-2015 and drafted and submitted to Parliament the justice sector reform strategy. The draft strategy for reforming the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime is being debated. However, the measures taken weren’t enough for combating and preventing corruption. “The process of adopting the national anticorruption strategy lasted for seven months. The strategy monitoring group hasn’t worked for 11 months and no pressure was exerted on the state institutions to efficiently apply corruption prevention and combating polices. The new composition of the monitoring group was approved with a great delay,” said Ianina Spinei. TI-Moldova formulated a set of recommendations on the 2012 plan of action for implementing the national anticorruption strategy for 2011-2015. The measures are aimed at preventing and combating corruption in the financial, budgetary, fiscal, insurance, energy and other sectors. The 2011 Corruption Perception Index was released in Berlin on December 1. New Zealand (9.5) ranks first, followed by Finland (9.4) and Denmark (9.4). Somalia (1.0) and North Korea (1.0) are last. Two thirds of ranked countries scored less than 5.