Transparency International, a global civil society organization based in Berlin that is leading the fight against corruption, has released its latest 2017 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), along with some very good news for Saudi Arabia. The report reveals that the Kingdom continues to improve its ranking, moving up five places to number 57 from last year’s 62nd position.
According to Saudi Arabia’s Center for International Communication, this development comes in the wake of recent efforts by the Kingdom to fight corruption, including the establishment of a National Anti-Corruption Commission in November last year. It is also seen as a tangible result of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s national strategy to diversify its economy, which emphasizes a commitment to accountability, greater transparency, and continual improvement.
“We are dedicated to achieving the objectives in the Vision 2030 plan, which includes improving transparency and accountability in every facet of our government, and this report shows we’re making progress,” said Mohamed Altwaijri, Minister of Economy and Planning. “Saudi Arabia’s use of The National Center for Performance Measurement (Adaa) to independently benchmark the performance of our public entities is one of many tools we can credit with improving our global standing.”
The CPI report annually ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be, using a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 indicating highly corrupt and 100 as very clean. According to data in its latest report, Saudi Arabia improved its ranking to third in the region and with a higher score than the regional average of 33.
Husameddin AlMandani, Director General of Adaa, Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Performance Measurement, explained that enabling “transparency in government is one of the key reasons Adaa was created, and we are pleased that our efforts, and the full efforts in support of achieving Vision 2030, are showing true progression. It is important for global leaders to establish organizations that help to improve government efficiency and transparency.”
