Corruption rampant in many leading oil-producing nations: survey

London (Platts)--20Oct2004

Corruption is rampant in several of the world's leading oil-producing nations,
according to the latest annual survey by non-governmental organization
Transparency International published Wednesday. The survey, based on the
perceptions of business people and country analysts, looked at 146 countries
and concluded that "most oil-producing nations are prone to high corruption."
"Sixty countries score less than three out of 10, indicating rampant
corruption," TI said. 

The most acute perceptions of corruption were in
Bangladesh, Haiti, Nigeria, Chad, Myanmar, Azerbaijan and Paraguay, all of
which scored less than two out of 10. In addition, "oil-rich Angola,
Azerbaijan, Chad, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Russia, Sudan, Venezuela and
Yemen all have extremely low scores," the organization said. "In these
countries, public contracting in the oil sector is plagued by revenues
vanishing into the pockets of western oil executives, middlemen and local
officials," TI Chairman Peter Eigen said.

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