Gov't Office: Slovakia's Standing in TI's Index Improved from 2011

Bratislava, January 25 (TASR) – Slovakia improved its place in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index from 66th in 2011 to 50th in 2015, the Government Office said in a statement on Wednesday.

This statement came after Transparency International announced earlier in the day that Slovakia continues to stagnate in its fight against corruption. The Government Office pointed out that the higher ranking came during Prime Minister Robert Fico’s tenure in office following a government led by Iveta Radicova (2010-12).

As for the moderate slip in Slovakia’s position to 54th in the 2016 annual ranking, the Government Office attributed this to an increase in the number of countries reviewed, as Slovakia’s score remained unchanged.

Also worth pointing out, wrote the Government Office, is the fact that Prime Minister Robert Fico recently signed a memorandum of understanding with OECD representatives on bolstering cooperation in the fight against corruption, “based on which joint anti-corruption programmes will be enhanced and oversight mechanisms will be strengthened”.

The Government Office also highlighted the enactment of several measures to counter corruption, such as limits on cash payments, new legislation aimed at protecting whistleblowers, and an electronic marketplace. Additional initiatives are in the works.

“In 2016, Slovakia ranked 54th, maintaining its previous year’s score of 51 out of 100 points. However, Slovakia saw a year-on-year drop of four places in 2016, as the overall number of countries participating in the Index swelled from 168 to 176. Slovakia has the seventh worst ranking among EU countries, with only Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria faring worse,” said representatives of Transparency International Slovensko earlier on Wednesday.