SINGAPORE: Singapore has once again secured its position as the fifth least corrupt country in the world, according to the recently released Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. This marks the 28th consecutive year Singapore has held a top 10 spot since the index’s inception in 1995.
While the city-state was placed third in 2018 and 2020 and fourth in 2019 and 2021, it dropped to fifth in both 2022 and the current 2023 ranking.
The index evaluates and measures countries based on their perceived levels of public sector corruption, assigning scores from 0 (very corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
Singapore scored 83 points in the latest rankings, maintaining the same standing it received in the previous year. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) revealed that this assessment is derived from expert opinions and business people’s surveys from 13 external sources.
CPIB, in a press release on Tuesday (Jan 30), emphasized that the corruption situation in Singapore “remains firmly under control.”
The bureau highlighted the consistently low number of public sector corruption cases. It stated, “Public Perception Surveys regularly conducted by CPIB indicate strong public confidence in our national corruption control efforts.”
Singapore also came in third for the absence of corruption in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2023. Of 142 countries, Singapore emerged as the leading Asian nation in this index.
CPIB added, “It also performed well in the 2023 Report on Corruption in Asia by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) where it was ranked as the top out of 16 economies.”
Asserting that “Singapore’s reputation as one of the least corrupt countries in the world is hard-earned,” the anti-graft agency promised to continue working hard to keep corruption at bay.
It said, “CPIB takes a serious view of all reports and information that may disclose a corruption offense, whether the informant is known or anonymous. Together, we will continue to ensure that incorruptibility remains a key part of the Singaporean DNA.”