RI score improves in corruption-perceptions index

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 11/17/2009 10:48 PM  |  National

Indonesia’s corruption-perceptions index score increased to 2.8 this year from 2.6 last year, according to data from Transparency International Indonesia.

The new score moved Indonesia to 111th position among 180 countries polled worldwide, up from 126th place last year.

“The score does not indicate [a significant] improvement in the anticorruption drive in Indonesia,” Transparency International Indonesia research and policy manager Frenky Simanjuntak said Tuesday.

Indonesia remained among a group of countries facing major challenges in fighting corruption, he said.

Southeast Asian neighbor Singapore fared better with a score of 9.2; Brunei Darussalam scored 5.5; Malaysia 4.5; and Thailand 3.3.

Within the region, Indonesia only beat Vietnam, the Philippines and Timor Leste, which came out with 2.7, 2.4 and 2.2.

TII secretary-general Teten Masduki said the alleged conspiracy targeting leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) had been a real setback in Indonesia’s efforts to eradicate corruption, and could affect the country’s score in TI survey.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and KPK deputy chief Haryono Umar attended an official event to announce the index results, on Tuesday.

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