ICAC Statement: HK ranked 4th among places with least corruption risk in latest international survey
2016-12-1
According to the 2016 TRACE Matrix, jointly released today (December 1) by renowned international anti-corruption consultancy TRACE International in collaboration with research institute RAND Corporation, Hong Kong was ranked the 4th among 199 countries and territories with the least corruption risk.
While maintaining the same ranking as in 2014 when the index was first launched, Hong Kong’s score improved from 23 in the previous survey to this year’s 17 (see Annex).
An ICAC spokesperson welcomed the release of the index which further affirmed Hong Kong’s relentless efforts in maintaining a level playing field and a society that embraced the core value of probity.
“With the community’s support, the Commission stands ready to rise to every challenge and continue to combat corruption effectively through investigation, prevention and education,” said the spokesperson.
The TRACE Matrix assessed the corruption risk of a country/territory through four domains: business interaction with government, anti-bribery law and enforcement, government and civil service transparency, and capacity of civil society oversight, including the media. Each territory was accorded a score from 0 to 100. The lower the score, the lower risk of bribery.
According to the report, there was “a very low expectation of bribes” in Hong Kong when doing business with the government, while the city’s anti-bribery laws and enforcement were both considered of “high quality”.
“The public can rest assured that the ICAC will remain committed to the anti-corruption cause, safeguarding Hong Kong’s hard-earned reputation as one of the cleanest places the world over,” the spokesperson added.
TRACE International is a global anti-corruption consultancy which provides bribery risk assessment to multi-national companies while RAND Corporation is a leading international think-tank specialising on public administration and developing solutions.
Annex: 2016 TRACE Matrix
Ranking Countries/territories Score
======= =============== =====
1. Sweden 10
2. New Zealand 15
3. Estonia 17
4. Hong Kong 17
5. Norway 19
6. Ireland 22
7. Netherlands 24
8. Singapore 25
9. Finland 26
10. Denmark 27
While maintaining the same ranking as in 2014 when the index was first launched, Hong Kong’s score improved from 23 in the previous survey to this year’s 17 (see Annex).
An ICAC spokesperson welcomed the release of the index which further affirmed Hong Kong’s relentless efforts in maintaining a level playing field and a society that embraced the core value of probity.
“With the community’s support, the Commission stands ready to rise to every challenge and continue to combat corruption effectively through investigation, prevention and education,” said the spokesperson.
The TRACE Matrix assessed the corruption risk of a country/territory through four domains: business interaction with government, anti-bribery law and enforcement, government and civil service transparency, and capacity of civil society oversight, including the media. Each territory was accorded a score from 0 to 100. The lower the score, the lower risk of bribery.
According to the report, there was “a very low expectation of bribes” in Hong Kong when doing business with the government, while the city’s anti-bribery laws and enforcement were both considered of “high quality”.
“The public can rest assured that the ICAC will remain committed to the anti-corruption cause, safeguarding Hong Kong’s hard-earned reputation as one of the cleanest places the world over,” the spokesperson added.
TRACE International is a global anti-corruption consultancy which provides bribery risk assessment to multi-national companies while RAND Corporation is a leading international think-tank specialising on public administration and developing solutions.
Annex: 2016 TRACE Matrix
Ranking Countries/territories Score
======= =============== =====
1. Sweden 10
2. New Zealand 15
3. Estonia 17
4. Hong Kong 17
5. Norway 19
6. Ireland 22
7. Netherlands 24
8. Singapore 25
9. Finland 26
10. Denmark 27