Ukraine occupies a “worthy” place among the world’ s most corrupt countries

Ukraine is ranked with the world’s 25 most corrupt polities. On October 26 in Washington an independent organization, Transparency International, published a list of 99 countries, ranging from the least to the most corrupt, based on numerous polls among local business circles. Remarkably, even the World Bank and IMF, which previously forbade such studies, have recently launched an even more aggressive campaign for clean hands in government, maybe not without influence of this data. A ten-point corruption scale was applied (10 points meaning total absence of corruption). Denmark placed highest, followed by Finland, New Zealand, and Sweden. Actually, Scandinavian bureaucrats were recognized as having the cleanest hands. The dirtiest were found in African, Latin American, Asian countries, and former Soviet republics.

Ukraine received 2.6 points, courtesy of its law-abiding and honest bureaucrats. And to think that countries such as Colombia, Guatemala, Zimbabwe, and Jordan registered 1.5-2 times lower corruption levels! In fact, the acting President, Leonid Kuchma, visiting Vinnytsia the other day declared that he was sure the situation in Ukraine in terms of combating corruption is “better by far than in many countries.” Well, fellow Ukrainians, you should feel proud! According to Transparency International, corruption levels are higher in Cameron, Uganda, Pakistan, Ecuador, and Bolivia. From among the post-Soviet states, Ukraine lags behind Armenia, Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan. Of the 99 listed countries, Ukraine has found itself in the last quarter, after Third World countries. What kind of investment can one expect for economic development, considering that the bureaucrats have created Ukraine’s image as a state living under the law of the jungle? And this is not the main point, either. If we continue to look up to Kenya or Paraguay as worthy examples, will we ever live to see all those cherished changes for the better? Well, our leaders sitting in their offices must have a broader view and better ideas about which way we should go. But it will not be the European one. This much is certain even now. Who will then admit us into Europe with our Afro-Asiatic standard?