24 September 2008
New Zealand public service tops world index
New Zealand's public service has received yet another vote of confidence, being rated first equal in the world for the
third year in a row, for the lack of corruption in its public service, State Services Minister David Parker said today.
Transparency International's Corruptions Perceptions Index scores 180 countries on a scale from zero to ten, with zero
indicating high levels of corruption and ten indicating low levels . New Zealand gained a score of 9.3 out of ten, first
equal with Denmark and Sweden, and compared to 8.7 for Australia, 7.7 for the United Kingdom and 7.3 for the United
States.
"I applaud our public servants for being amongst the most honest in the world, and this is something we should not take
for granted," David Parker said.
"As this study by Transparency International unfortunately shows, many other countries suffer from debilitating
corruption, which blights their economies, hampers investment and destroys trust in the democratic process."
Another study a fortnight ago by the World Bank found New Zealand is ranked second in the world for ease of doing
business.
"These studies confirm that New Zealand is an attractive place to do business, not only for the simplicity of our
regulatory environment, but also because we offer the reassurance of a public service with integrity," David Parker
said.
"This good result does not mean we can be complacent however. We must take tough and decisive action to deal with
isolated cases of corruption when they do occur.
"Labour continues to support a strong, effective and trusted public service and refuses to use 'bureaucrats' as a
punching bag when it comes to an election year," David Parker said.
For the full report by Transparency International, see link:
ENDS