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Corruption in Bhutan is considered relatively low. The small kingdom is noted for its Gross National Happiness index. The record of corruption in the country is also relatively low and the kingdom is the least corrupt country in the South Asian region. A low incidence of corruption still exists and the government has instituted reforms and initiatives to address them.
There is a culture of public service in Bhutan where civil servants prioritize serving the state and the king. This commitment to duty has so far deterred the emergence of a culture of corruption in the kingdom. This is demonstrated in the case of the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC), which oversees the recruitment of government personnel. It was established through the interconnection of three main entities: the king, the commission, and the civil service law. [1] These created a merit-based civil service that has a clear set of rules and regulations for recruitment and human resource development.
RCSC is also mandated to maintain and implement general policies designed to promote efficiency, loyalty, integrity, and a high level of morale among civil servants. [1] The efficient civil service system is governed by the king's concept of the bureaucracy as “small, efficient and effective government that is clean and not corrupt whose members are well paid, well looked after and disciplined.” [1]
Anti-corruption mechanisms include the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which is the kingdom's lead agency in preventing and addressing incidences of corruption. The ACC, which was established through the Anti-Corruption Act of Bhutan 2011, prosecutes corruption cases and promotes integrity and accountability. The agency also has the authority to carry out preventive measures and educational initiatives designed to increase awareness about corruption. It maintains its own complaints and management system and adopts relevant conventions such as the Debarment Rule 2023. [2]
The agency is central to Bhutan's long-term anti-corruption goal as outlined in its Strategic Anti-Corruption Roadmap 2021–2030. [3] This roadmap has an operational framework in the form of the agency called National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Strategy (NIACS). [4]
Bhutan's anti-corruption record has earned recognition. For instance, many aspects of the country's scheme for criminalization of bribery meet international standards. [5]
Key corruption challenges in Bhutan include favoritism in the civil service as well as corruption and unethical practices in the areas of public procurement and financial transactions. Favoritism in the civil service is associated with the patron-client relationships that still persist in the formal aspects of politics in the country. A criticism claims that the royal family members are the kingdom's largest landowners and have controlling interests in several companies. It is said that this allows the monarchy to use its wealth to control the political game. [6]
A study by the ACC also found that Bhutanese people do not feel strongly against corruption. There is tolerance for bribes and nepotism among government officials and this is attributed to a culture of unquestioning respect for superiors and also due to Buddhist beliefs, which include the idea that individuals will eventually reap their own karma. [7] This cultural aspect has bearing on the number of cases reported due to the acceptance that “there is no person without faults”. Buddhism has also no strong concept of revenge or punishment. These factors are being addressed by the government's efforts to raise public awareness on corrupt practices. [7]
According to the country's Anti-Corruption Commission, there were 435 corruption cases from 2021 to 2022. [8] These cases, which had an average of 36 per month, included reports of embezzlement, bribery, and false claims. Part of these cases involved the investigation and prosecution of Phuentsholing Mini Dry Port (MDP), which was accused of bribery and other illegal activities connected with their import of essential goods. This case involved public officials as well as private individuals and entities. [9] The efficiency of the government in prosecuting these cases is underscored by an 88.62 percent conviction rate. During the previous fiscal year period (2020–2021), the average number of cases report was 25 per month. [9] It is claimed that the uptick in reported cases is the result of increased awareness, trust and confidence in the government's anti-corruption initiatives. During the 2022-2023 period, there were 342 corruption cases reported and a 75 percent conviction rate. [10]
From complaint-based investigations, the ACC has shifted towards research and intelligence-based investigations, which feature a capability for strategic prioritization of high-risk and high-impact corruption cases. [3]
Bhutan ranked 26th out of the 180 countries listed in Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. It has consistently scored a rating of 68 out of 100 since 2018, on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"). [11] [12] For comparison with regional scores, the highest 2023 score among the countries of the Asia Pacific region [Note 1] was 85, the average score was 45 and the lowest score was 17. [13] For comparison with worldwide scores, the best 2023 score was 90 (ranked 1), the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11 (ranked 180). [14]
Corruption in Armenia has decreased significantly in modern times, but remains an ongoing problem in the country. Despite this, fighting corruption following the 2018 Armenian revolution has recorded significant progress. Armenia is a member of the Council of Europe's Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) and the OECD's Anti-Corruption Network and Armenia's anti-corruption measures are regularly evaluated within their monitoring mechanisms.
The Philippines suffers from widespread corruption, which developed during the Spanish colonial period. According to GAN Integrity's Philippines Corruption Report updated May 2020, the Philippines suffers from many incidents of corruption and crime in many aspects of civic life and in various sectors. Such corruption risks are rampant throughout the state's judicial system, police service, public services, land administration, and natural resources.
This article discusses the responsibilities of the various agencies involved in combating corruption in New Zealand. New Zealand is regarded as having one of the lowest levels of corruption in the world.
While hard data on corruption is difficult to collect, corruption in Indonesia is clearly seen through public opinion, collated through surveys as well as observation of how each system runs.
Corruption in Albania is a very serious problem. According to Global Corruption Barometer 2013, 66% of respondents indicated that level of corruption has increased in Albania.
Corruption in Bangladesh has been a continuing problem. According to all major ranking institutions, Bangladesh routinely finds itself among the most corrupt countries in the world.
Corruption can take many forms, and can distort how public policy is made or implemented. This article discusses the responsibilities of the various agencies involved in combating corruption in Australia. Australia became a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2005. While Australia is a wealthy democracy, over the decade since 2012, Australia's ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International has slipped from 7th place in 2012 to 14th in 2023, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. Additionally, there is a public perception that corruption in Australia is increasing. All states have broad-based anti-corruption agencies, and a national anti-corruption commission has been operational since July 2023.
Corruption in Sweden has been defined as "the abuse of power" by Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå). By receiving bribes, bribe takers abuse their position of power, which is consistent with how the National Anti-Corruption Unit of the Swedish Prosecution Authority specifies the term. Although bribes and improper rewards are central in the definition of corruption in Sweden, corruption in the sense of "abuse of power" can also manifest itself in other crimes such as misuse of office, embezzlement, fraud and breach of trust against a principal.
Corruption in Denmark is amongst the lowest in the world.
Corruption in Switzerland describes the prevention and occurrence of corruption in Switzerland.
Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index scored Germany at 78 on a scale from 0 to 100. When ranked by score, Germany ranked 9th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90, the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11. For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Western European and European Union countries was 90, the average score was 65 and the lowest score was 42.
Corruption in the Czech Republic is considered to be widespread by a majority of the Czech public, according to Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer 2013.
Corruption in South Korea is moderate compared to most countries in the Asia–Pacific and the broader international community. Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index scored South Korea at 63 on a scale between 0 and 100. When ranked by score, South Korea ranked 32nd among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90, the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11. For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among the countries of the Asia–Pacific region was 85, the average score was 45 and the lowest score was 17.
Corruption in Georgia had been an issue in the post-Soviet decades. Before the 2003 Rose Revolution, according to Foreign Policy, Georgia was among the most corrupt nations in Eurasia. The level of corruption abated dramatically, however, after the revolution. In 2010, Transparency International (TI) said that Georgia was "the best corruption-buster in the world." While low-level corruption had earlier been largely eliminated, Transparency International Georgia since 2020 has also documented dozens of cases of high-level corruption that remain to be prosecuted.
Corruption in Jordan is a social and economic issue.
Corruption in Tajikistan is a widespread phenomenon that is found in all spheres of Tajik society. The situation is essentially similar to that in the other former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Reliable specifics about corruption can be difficult to come by, however, as can hard information about the effectiveness of supposed anti-corruption initiatives.
There is evidence that corruption is a legitimate problem in Israeli politics and many investigations have taken place into allegations of influence peddling and bribery.
Corruption in Chad is characterized by nepotism and cronyism. Chad received a score of 20 in the 2023 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index on a scale from 0 to 100. When ranked by score, Chad ranked 162nd among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90, the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11. For comparison with regional scores, the average score among sub-Saharan African countries was 33. The highest score in sub-Saharan Africa was 71 and the lowest score was 11.
Anti-corruption comprises activities that oppose or inhibit corruption. Just as corruption takes many forms, anti-corruption efforts vary in scope and in strategy. A general distinction between preventive and reactive measures is sometimes drawn. In such framework, investigative authorities and their attempts to unveil corrupt practices would be considered reactive, while education on the negative impact of corruption, or firm-internal compliance programs are classified as the former.
Corruption in Taiwan is noted for significant anti-corruption strides. Out of 180 countries, Taiwan, or the Republic of China, ranked 28th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in 2023. Key issues needing improvements include graft, bribery, and unethical practices.
Corruption in Asia | |
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