Jordan Times
Sunday, May 21, 2006
53% of citizens believe
gov’t is serious about tackling corruption
World Bank figures show that Arab countries waste $40 billion a year as a result
of corruption
AMMAN (JT) — A recent study reveals that 53 per cent of Jordanians believe the
state is serious about fighting corruption.
The findings of the survey, based on a national sample of 500 citizens, were
announced at the opening of a conference on corruption yesterday, organised by
the Good Governance Studies Centre (GGSC).
Deputising for Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, Minister of Social Development
Suleiman Tarawneh inaugurated the event.
In his opening address Tarawneh cited His Majesty King Abdullah’s Letter of
Designation in which he directed Bakhit’s government to fight all forms of
corruption, including wasta, or favouritism.
In 2004, Jordan ranked 37th out of 145 countries in the world with regards to
corruption, moving up from 44th place in 2003, according to the Corruption
Perceptions Index, part of the Global Corruption Report published by
Transparency International.
The international report showed that Jordan was ranked fourth in the Arab region
in 2004.
GGSC Director Malik Amaireh said corruption remains a major national challenge.
“It is not an exaggeration when we say that corruption is the number one
national problem,” he told the audience.
In June 2005, the Monarch directed the government of former prime minister Adnan
Badran to form an independent commission to draft a law to combat corruption and
stamp out “wasta” to speed up the reform process.
The King told the government to prepare a draft law on the commission and refer
it to Parliament “with urgency status.”
The law, which is still with the Lower House and is expected to be debated
during the next parliamentary session, is designed to fulfil what the King
stated was a “clear strategy” to combat corruption and prosecute the
perpetrators.
At the opening of Saturday’s conference, Amaireh said World Bank figures show
that Arab countries waste $40 billion a year as a result of corruption.
President of the UN commission on corruption, Muhyeddin Touq, who is also the
president of Jordan Institute of Diplomacy, presented a paper in which he
provided figures on international corruption.
Money laundering revenues, for example, are estimated at $300 billion worldwide.
The second session of the conference focused on the role of civil society
institutions in the war on corruption, while head of the Audit Bureau Mustafa
Barari, reviewed, the role of his agency in local efforts to eliminate corrupt
practices in the civil service.