The Nepal Weekly 
February 6, 2024
The study report on worldwide corruption recently brought out by Transparency International says that Nepal is ranked in 108th position out of 180 countries and territories in the Corruption Perceptions Index., according to the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. Corruption Rank in Nepal averaged 123.80 from 2004 until 2023, reaching top at 154.00 in 2011 and a record low of 90.00 in 2004.
The definition of corruption consequently ranges from the broad terms of misuse of public power and moral decay to strict legal definitions of corruption as an act of bribery involving a public servant and a transfer of tangible resources, experts mention. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059 (2002 A.D.), is the principal anti-corruption law in Nepal. It is the Law for Public Sector Corruption Control, which criminalizes the acts of “corruption” that have been defined as offenses punishable under Chapter 2 of the Act.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act, 1991, has defined “improper conduct” committed by a person holding a public post, “corruption” as an offense punishable under the prevailing laws relating to the prevention of corruption, and “abuse of authority” as an improper act or corruption as mentioned in the act. Corruption is a serious social problem that entices the extensive attention of stakeholders. It is a universal phenomenon that affects all societies and economies. Corruption negatively impacts a good governance system and jeopardizes transparency and accountability.
Corruption can be seen in different forms in Nepal. It may be monetary or non-monetary. Bribery, embezzlement, fraud, and extortion are the main forms of corruption. Abuse of power, nepotism, and favoritism are deeply rooted in Nepalese culture. Not only petty but also grand political and bureaucratic corruption is being committed in Nepal. Almost all sectors, i.e., the public, political, and private sectors, have been infected by corruption.
It is widely realized that the criminal investigation, prosecution, and adjudication processes are deeply affected by corruption. Nepal’s low score in the Corruption Perception Index shows that. So as, corruption manifests itself in a number of ways, ranging from the occasional acceptance of small scale bribes to large-scale looting of the resources of the country, and even grand political and bureaucratic corruption is being committed in Nepal.
The government of Nepal has been working continuously for the last few decades to make the country corruption-free. However, that has not been much influential so far. In the contrary, evidences to this effect show increasing trend of corruption and improper conduct.
According to Corruption Perceptions Index 2023, an annual flagship publication of Transparency International, a global anti-corruption group based in Berlin, made public recently, Nepal made a slight improvement by climbing two positions in the global rankings. Nepal was ranked in the 110th position in 2022 and was 117th in 2021.
Transparency International uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is the most corrupt and 100 is the least corrupt. A score below 50 is considered to have a relatively higher level of corruption in a country, according to the anti-corruption advocacy body.
Nepal received 35 points in 2023, one point more than in 2022.
Despite some improvement in Nepal’s score, it remains in the category of countries with rampant corruption, Transparency International Nepal mentioned in a statement.
In South Asia, Nepal has been ranked below Bhutan (26th), the Maldives (93rd) and India (93rd). Sri Lanka (115th), Pakistan (133rd), Bangladesh (149th) and Afghanistan (162nd) are the countries behind Nepal.
Nepal’s northern neighbour China has been ranked 76th with 42 points.
The CPI global average remains unchanged at 43 for the twelfth year in a row, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50. This indicates serious corruption problems, stated Transparency International.
Denmark (90) tops the index for the sixth consecutive year, with Finland and New Zealand following closely with scores of 87 and 85, respectively. Due to well-functioning justice systems, these countries are also among the top scorers in the Rule of Law Index, according to the report.
Somalia (11), Venezuela (13), Syria (13), South Sudan (13) and Yemen (16) take the bottom spots in the index. They are all affected by protracted crises, mostly armed conflicts.
Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil societal anti-corruption measures and to prevent criminal activities arising from corruption. Its most notable publications include the Global Corruption Barometer and the Corruption Perception Index. Transparency International serves as an umbrella organisation. From 1993 to present days, its membership has grown from a few individuals to more than 100 national chapters, which engage in fighting perceived corruption in their home countries.
Transparency International Nepal (TIN) has been engaged widening public accountability and curbing corruption in all walks of life. II is one of national chapters of Transparency International.
