Berlin-based Transparency International ranked Iraq number 169 out of 180 countries in its report released on Wednesday. Syria ranked 178th, Iran came in at number 130, Turkey was 81st.
Corruption is “endemic in the Arab states while assaults on freedom of expression, press freedoms and civil society continue to escalate,” Transparency International stated in its report.
Iraq and Syria were among the worst performing Arab states, all of which “suffer from weak public institutions, internal conflict and deep instability. Such situations allow corruption to become rife with little to no checks on official abuse,” the organization stated.
Encouraging free speech and an engaged civil society are ways to counter corruption, Transparency International advised, noting that “serious and genuine political will for change and reform” is crucial.
“Without serious reform, corruption will continue to flourish, further exacerbating the political and economic instability of the region and hindering its social and economic development.”
Corruption was a driving factor behind deadly protests in the Kurdistan Region last December where civil servants and security forces have not been paid their full salaries on time.
The KRG has made efforts to combat corruption. As of the end of 2017, 123 corruption cases had been sent to court, with verdicts reached in 39 of them. Another 375 cases were under investigation in the Kurdistan Region, according to the Commission of Integrity.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has stated that combatting corruption is the new war facing the country after the military defeat of ISIS. He has also expressed concern about corruption the Kurdistan Region, citing it as a reason for delaying payment of civil servant salaries.
Earlier this month, an Iraqi court sentenced former trade minister Falah al-Sudani to 21 years in jail for his role in a corruption scandal connected to Iraq’s food rations programme.
Transparency International bases its ranking on data gathered from international organizations like the World Bank and World Economic Forum.
