Source: Radio New Zealand
Voter fraud allegations and a lack of transparency around political lobbying and funding were some of the top concerns. (File photo) Pixabay/shafin_protic
New Zealand’s reputation for low levels of corruption has taken a hit for the fourth year in a row.
In global organisation Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perception Index – a survey of surveys measuring how corrupt a country is thought to be – New Zealand’s score has fallen two points.
New Zealand still ranked highly in fourth place alongside Norway, and behind Denmark, Finland and Singapore.
“We used to be first in the world and we’ve just seen a continual drop down the ladder – about 10 percent in four years,” Transparency International New Zealand chairperson Anne Tolley said.
“It sort of feels like the wheels are coming off a bit and that’s really dangerous for our democracy.”
Voter fraud allegations and a lack of transparency around political lobbying and funding are some of the top concerns, with prosecutions for bribery, deception and misuse of public funds adding to potential reputational damage.
“A strong democracy has people feeling very confident about those democratic systems and wanting to take part,” Tolley said.
Corruption perception versus reality
Transparency International’s concerns were mirrored in the pilot report released Tuesday from the Anti-Corruption Taskforce, lead by the Serious Fraud Office.
The report looked at how big the issue of fraud and corruption was within public agencies and how well-equipped they were to find and prevent it.
“Cases of internal fraud and corruption are almost certainly being under-reported, due to a number of factors, and the true scale of the issue remains unclear,” the report said.
It highlighted the need for a national anti-corruption strategy, according to Tolley, and it was crucial for New Zealand’s reputation as a small trading nation reliant on global relationships.
“The world’s become more conscious of dirty money – that money is that’s derived from the drug trade and prostitution and modern slavery,” she said.
“We’re all more aware of being sure that we are we are investing and trading with a country that has good systems in place to stop that.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
