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Transparency International releases index of corruption risks in
defence sector of 82 countries
TERT.AM
15:25 ’ 29.01.13
Seventy per cent of countries leave the door open to waste and
security threats as they lack the tools to prevent corruption in the
defence sector, according to the first ever index measuring how
governments prevent and counter corruption in defence, released by
Transparency International UK's Defence and Security Programme.
Those with poor controls include two-thirds of the largest arms
importers and half of the biggest arms exporters in the world.
Germany and Australia are the only countries that have strong
anti-corruption mechanisms according to the index, with measures in
place such as robust parliamentary oversight of defence policy. Nine
countries ΜΆ Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, DRC, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya,
Syria, and Yemen ΜΆ exhibit critical risk, lacking basic measures such
as controls to enable accountability, making institutionalisation of
anti-corruption mechanisms in the sector near impossible. South
America and Eastern Europe, on the other hand, show lower risk of
corruption thanks to strong technical controls in areas such as
administration of audits.
The Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index analyses what 82
countries do to reduce corruption risks. These countries accounted for
94 per cent of the global military expenditure in 2011, equivalent to
USD 1.6 trillion. Countries are scored in bands from very low risk (A)
to critical risk (F) according to detailed assessment across 77
indicators that cover five prominent risk areas in the sector:
politics, finance, personnel, operations, and procurement.
Transparency International calls on governments to make this
traditionally secretive sector, which involves large public contracts,
more open. Defence establishments should increase citizens' access to
information about defence budgets and procurement. Legislators should
have stronger controls and oversight of the sector, possessing the
teeth and access to cut corruption down.
Transparency International estimates the global cost of corruption in
the defence sector to be a minimum of USD 20 billion per year, based
on data from the World Bank and the Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI). This equates to the total sum pledged by
the G8 in 2009 to fight world hunger.
The Index shows that only 15 per cent of governments assessed possess
political oversight of defence policy that is comprehensive,
accountable, and effective. In 45 per cent of countries there is
little or no oversight of defence policy, and in half of nations there
is minimal evidence of scrutiny of defence procurement.
The study also finds that citizens are frequently denied basic
knowledge about the defence sector. Half of the countries' defence
budgets lack transparency entirely, or include only very limited,
aggregated information. In 70 per cent of the countries, citizens are
denied a simple indication of how much is spent by their government on
secret items.
The Index bands countries according to their level of risk of
corruption. The risk of corruption is determined by the danger and
extent of it occurring and by the frequency citizens may face it.
BAND A - Very Low Risk (2 countries): Australia, Germany
BAND B - Low Risk (7 countries): Austria, Norway, South Korea, Sweden,
Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States
BAND C - Moderate Risk (16 countries): Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary,
Italy, Japan, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Spain
BAND D+ - High Risk (15 countries): Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus,
India, Israel, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Nepal, Serbia,
Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, UAE
BAND D- - High Risk (15 countries) Bangladesh, Belarus, China,
Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan,
Palestine, Russia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Turkey
BAND E - Very High Risk (18 countries): Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cote
d'Ivoire, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Philippines,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uganda, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Zimbabwe
BAND F - Critical Risk (9 countries): Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, DRC,
Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Syria, Yemen
defence sector of 82 countries
TERT.AM
15:25 ’ 29.01.13
Seventy per cent of countries leave the door open to waste and
security threats as they lack the tools to prevent corruption in the
defence sector, according to the first ever index measuring how
governments prevent and counter corruption in defence, released by
Transparency International UK's Defence and Security Programme.
Those with poor controls include two-thirds of the largest arms
importers and half of the biggest arms exporters in the world.
Germany and Australia are the only countries that have strong
anti-corruption mechanisms according to the index, with measures in
place such as robust parliamentary oversight of defence policy. Nine
countries ΜΆ Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, DRC, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya,
Syria, and Yemen ΜΆ exhibit critical risk, lacking basic measures such
as controls to enable accountability, making institutionalisation of
anti-corruption mechanisms in the sector near impossible. South
America and Eastern Europe, on the other hand, show lower risk of
corruption thanks to strong technical controls in areas such as
administration of audits.
The Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index analyses what 82
countries do to reduce corruption risks. These countries accounted for
94 per cent of the global military expenditure in 2011, equivalent to
USD 1.6 trillion. Countries are scored in bands from very low risk (A)
to critical risk (F) according to detailed assessment across 77
indicators that cover five prominent risk areas in the sector:
politics, finance, personnel, operations, and procurement.
Transparency International calls on governments to make this
traditionally secretive sector, which involves large public contracts,
more open. Defence establishments should increase citizens' access to
information about defence budgets and procurement. Legislators should
have stronger controls and oversight of the sector, possessing the
teeth and access to cut corruption down.
Transparency International estimates the global cost of corruption in
the defence sector to be a minimum of USD 20 billion per year, based
on data from the World Bank and the Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI). This equates to the total sum pledged by
the G8 in 2009 to fight world hunger.
The Index shows that only 15 per cent of governments assessed possess
political oversight of defence policy that is comprehensive,
accountable, and effective. In 45 per cent of countries there is
little or no oversight of defence policy, and in half of nations there
is minimal evidence of scrutiny of defence procurement.
The study also finds that citizens are frequently denied basic
knowledge about the defence sector. Half of the countries' defence
budgets lack transparency entirely, or include only very limited,
aggregated information. In 70 per cent of the countries, citizens are
denied a simple indication of how much is spent by their government on
secret items.
The Index bands countries according to their level of risk of
corruption. The risk of corruption is determined by the danger and
extent of it occurring and by the frequency citizens may face it.
BAND A - Very Low Risk (2 countries): Australia, Germany
BAND B - Low Risk (7 countries): Austria, Norway, South Korea, Sweden,
Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States
BAND C - Moderate Risk (16 countries): Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary,
Italy, Japan, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Spain
BAND D+ - High Risk (15 countries): Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus,
India, Israel, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Nepal, Serbia,
Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, UAE
BAND D- - High Risk (15 countries) Bangladesh, Belarus, China,
Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan,
Palestine, Russia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Turkey
BAND E - Very High Risk (18 countries): Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cote
d'Ivoire, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Philippines,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uganda, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Zimbabwe
BAND F - Critical Risk (9 countries): Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, DRC,
Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Syria, Yemen