Bhutan least corrupted in South Asia

November 19, 2009: Bhutan has been rated as least corrupted in South Asia. According to the new report by Transparency International, Bhutan has been ranked 49th in the list of 180 countries.

Bhutan is followed by India (84), Sri Lanka (97) Bangladesh and Pakistan (139) Nepal (143) and Afghanistan (179).

Bhutan is ranked 10th least corrupted in Asia pacific region that includes 32 countries. New Zealand is least corrupted in the world while Somalia is most corrupted.

Back in the country, the Anti Corruption Commission said misuse of authority, abuse of pubic fund for private gains, embezzlement, nepotism and collusion are some of the major means of corruption in the country.

The first annual report produced by the commission since its inception in 2006 reveals that the highest complaints received this year are against the local government.

“With greater decentralisation in the 10th plan, the risk correspondingly will be greater if timely administrative interventions, like monitoring, are not made,” says the report.

About 34 percent of the complaints are from Thimphu followed by Chukha (11.5 percent). Paro and Wangdue both have 5.7 percent and Trashigang at 5.3 percent complaints registered with ACC.

The commission received 418 complaints between October 2008 and September 2009, of which 77 qualified for investigation.

The procurement of medical equipment in the health ministry was one of the big cases ACC has been handling during this period. Basic skill education program under the Ministry of Labor and Human Resources (MoLHR), Singye sand and stone quarry case, Samtse mines case, Phobjika case of Wangdue are some of the prominent corruption cases being tackled by the commission.