ID :
21158
Thu, 09/25/2008 - 17:16
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/21158
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TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL AZERBAIJAN REMAINS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PERSISTENTLY LOW SCORE OF AZERBAIJAN IN THIS YEAR`S CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX
Baku,24 September,(AzerTAj)The Transparency International national chapter in Azerbaijan remains very concerned about the persistently low score of Azerbaijan in this year`s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) over the past two years: 2.1 in 2007 and 1.9 in 2008, says a press release issued by Transparency International Azerbaijan.
“The country demonstrated a steady increase of its ranking from 1.8 in 2003 to its
peak of 2.4 in 2006, because of the number of the anti-corruption measures adopted
by the Government and the efforts undertaken by the civil society.
Specifically, the Government is implementing the National Strategy for Increasing
Transparency and Combating Corruption for 2007-2010, adopted with the considerable
inputs from civil society and international organizations, which makes it
significantly more effective than the first National Anticorruption Program for
2004-2006. There are visible improvements in the country`s legislative framework
with a number of crucial laws having been adopted (the Law on Combat Against
Corruption with amendments; the Law on Code for Public Officials, etc). On the
institutional level Azerbaijan maintains a State Commission for Combat against
Corruption and a special Department on Combat against Corruption within the
Prosecutor`s office, as well as the Government and civil society anti-corruption
network, designed to coordinate joint efforts of all the network participants.
Azerbaijan is the only country within Transparency International movement with
representation in over 90 countries all over the world to manage 5 Advocacy and
Legal Advice Centers all over the country, which render legal advice to citizens.
According to Doing Business 2009 by the World Bank Azerbaijan led the world as the
top reformer in 2007/2008, with improvements on seven out of 10 indicators of
regulatory reform. Apart from improvements in the business environment, captured by
this report, TI Azerbaijan sees also tangible improvements in execution of court
rulings, recruitment to public service, calculation of pensions and institutional
set-up for handling complaints, especially by the Ministry of Education.
Institutions dealing directly with the entrepreneurs have shown a professional
attitude with a number of regulatory simplifications and reduction of costs to doing
business.
The special anti-corruption efforts of the Government and civil society of
Azerbaijan that have been appreciated by the EITI, GRECO, World Bank, OECD
Azerbaijan business community (Country Corruption Assessment: Business Opportunity
Survey 2006 by Transparency Azerbaijan) have not yet resonated with the wider,
broader international business community whose perception changes always with some
delays, therefore the national chapter regrets that existing methodology did not
permit for some of the above positive reforms to be reflected in the CPI and thus
positioned Azerbaijan in a higher position on the scale, which it deserves.
However, TI`s global CPI is a composite index that consists of eight different
sources for Azerbaijan, five of which use data covering a period of two years. Such
a mix of sources did not permit for many of these positive reforms and
accomplishments to be properly reflected and the present change of the public
perception and understanding of the progressive reforms will only show over time. TI
Azerbaijan also remains fully convinced that the results of these efforts will soon
reflect in the latest surveys, such as it did in the Doing Business 2009, and
consequently improve the Azerbaijani ranking in the CPI too.”
“The country demonstrated a steady increase of its ranking from 1.8 in 2003 to its
peak of 2.4 in 2006, because of the number of the anti-corruption measures adopted
by the Government and the efforts undertaken by the civil society.
Specifically, the Government is implementing the National Strategy for Increasing
Transparency and Combating Corruption for 2007-2010, adopted with the considerable
inputs from civil society and international organizations, which makes it
significantly more effective than the first National Anticorruption Program for
2004-2006. There are visible improvements in the country`s legislative framework
with a number of crucial laws having been adopted (the Law on Combat Against
Corruption with amendments; the Law on Code for Public Officials, etc). On the
institutional level Azerbaijan maintains a State Commission for Combat against
Corruption and a special Department on Combat against Corruption within the
Prosecutor`s office, as well as the Government and civil society anti-corruption
network, designed to coordinate joint efforts of all the network participants.
Azerbaijan is the only country within Transparency International movement with
representation in over 90 countries all over the world to manage 5 Advocacy and
Legal Advice Centers all over the country, which render legal advice to citizens.
According to Doing Business 2009 by the World Bank Azerbaijan led the world as the
top reformer in 2007/2008, with improvements on seven out of 10 indicators of
regulatory reform. Apart from improvements in the business environment, captured by
this report, TI Azerbaijan sees also tangible improvements in execution of court
rulings, recruitment to public service, calculation of pensions and institutional
set-up for handling complaints, especially by the Ministry of Education.
Institutions dealing directly with the entrepreneurs have shown a professional
attitude with a number of regulatory simplifications and reduction of costs to doing
business.
The special anti-corruption efforts of the Government and civil society of
Azerbaijan that have been appreciated by the EITI, GRECO, World Bank, OECD
Azerbaijan business community (Country Corruption Assessment: Business Opportunity
Survey 2006 by Transparency Azerbaijan) have not yet resonated with the wider,
broader international business community whose perception changes always with some
delays, therefore the national chapter regrets that existing methodology did not
permit for some of the above positive reforms to be reflected in the CPI and thus
positioned Azerbaijan in a higher position on the scale, which it deserves.
However, TI`s global CPI is a composite index that consists of eight different
sources for Azerbaijan, five of which use data covering a period of two years. Such
a mix of sources did not permit for many of these positive reforms and
accomplishments to be properly reflected and the present change of the public
perception and understanding of the progressive reforms will only show over time. TI
Azerbaijan also remains fully convinced that the results of these efforts will soon
reflect in the latest surveys, such as it did in the Doing Business 2009, and
consequently improve the Azerbaijani ranking in the CPI too.”
