Transparency International release scores - Timor 127th least corrupt, Indonesia 110

Transparency International just released their 2010 Corruptions Perceptions Index, available at http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010. Timor-Leste scored 2.5 (out of 10), ranking 127th least corrupt country among 178 countries -- in other words, worse than more than 2/3 of the countries rated. In the Asia-Pacific region, TL is 24th out of 34 countries, worse than Indonesia (110th, 2.8 compared to 111th, 2.8 in the 2009 survey), Thailand, Mongolia, and Vietnam, among others.

For Timor-Leste, this is a slight improvement over 2009, when its score was 2.2, ranking 146 of 180 countries worldwide, and 28th of 33 in Asia-Pacific. In 2008, its score was also 2.2 (145th/180). In 2007, it scored  2.6 (123th/180), better than this year. 

In other recent indexes: 


Global Hunger Index


Timor-Leste is "among the countries with hunger levels considerably higher than their GNI [Gross National Income] per capita would suggest" according to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Global Hunger Index (GHI). It is one of four countries (the others are Bangladesh, India and Yemen) which have "the highest prevalence of underweight in children under five -- "more than 40 percent." 23% of the population is under-nourished.Timor-Leste's GHI of 25.6 is considered "alarming"  and is the highest of any country in South and Southeast Asia, and ranks 71 of the 84 countries ranked globally. The ranking does not include many countries where hunger is not a serious problem. The previous calculation of the GHI was in 1990, and Timor-Leste was not included. Indonesia is rated "serious" ranking 36 with a score of 13.2 - compared to 19.5 in 1990. 16% of its population was malnourished.


Open Budget Index


On the International Budget Partnership's Open Budget Index 2010, Timor-Leste scored 34 out of 100, characterized as "Provides minimal information to the public in its budget documents during the year." (Timor's country data sheet is here.). TL ranks fifth among the seven Southeast Asian countries rated, better than Vietnam and Cambodia but worse than Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. T-L's score of 34 is less than the global average of 42.  It ranks 62nd best of the 93 countries rated. This is the first time Timor-Leste has been included in the OBI. Indonesia ranked 39th, scoring 51, down from 54 in 2008. Indonesia's 2010 country data sheet is here.

UPDATE: added missing data on Indonesia for previous year, also some copy-editing and an added link.

Congratulations to Aderito

Congratulations to Adérito de Jesus Soares. He was sworn in today as Timor-Leste's first Anti-Corruption Commissioner. Adérito served on ETAN's Executive Committee while he was in U.S. studying for a Masters in Law degree at NYU. He has spoken at numerous ETAN-organized events, including a UN press conference on justice and accountability and a congressional briefing. He is a founding board member of La'o Hamutuk.

ETAN wishes him and the East Timorese people well as he takes on his new position.

News reports of the swearing in ceremony can be found here and here.

 

Aderito (right) with ETAN (and La'o Hamutuk's) Charles Scheiner in Dili, September 2009. Photo by John M. Miller/ETAN