Corruption in Tunisia
It is estimated that Tunisia lost more than US$1 billion per year between 2000 and 2008 due to corruption, bribery, kickbacks, trade mispricing and criminal activities.[1]
| Political corruption |
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| Concepts |
| Corruption by country |
The National Constituent Assembly developed an anti-corruption initiative in December 2012 which aims to establish a national integrity system, to promote the independent National Anti-Corruption Authority, and to boost civil society participation in corruption prevention. However, the government's effort is still considered limited. Corruption is still a serious problem yet it is less pervasive when compared to the neighboring countries.[2]
The role of middlemen is very important for doing business in Tunisia, and many investors consider that having the right connections when collaborating on business in order to overcome administrative hurdles to investment and public procurement is crucial. State-owned companies or private groups owned by influential families continue to enjoy a privileged position, with close political and administrative ties and easier access to financing.[3]
Public Ranking and Polling
On Transparency International's 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index, Tunisia scored 40 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"). When ranked by score, Tunisia ranked 85th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. [4] For comparison, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the worst score was 12 (ranked 180), and the average score was 43.[5]
Corruption in Tunisia is often discussed in public and political circles of the region as being of the most prominent issues effecting the country today. In a series of polls conducted by the International Republican Institute, corruption consistently ranked highly among the issues facing Tunisia. 83% of those surveyed were disappointed with the progress of the country, with 26% of respondents stating they were unable to afford food and other necessities. 89% felt the economic situation was negative.[6]
When asked what the largest issue of Tunisia was, corruption was among the top 5 results, even being present at the local level. Respondents were asked what issues were prominent within their own communities, and corruption of the government came up once again.[6]
Addressing the steps needed to be taken by the government, many of those surveyed picked issues involving the economy and unemployment, as well as living standards. After this, the next highest result showed corruption and transparency, only ranking slightly lower. While corruption was not the most prominent issue according to those surveyed, it still was important. When questioned how the government of Tunisia should address these issues of unemployment and low standards of living, the number one answer given was reducing corruption in order to adequately fund government programs addressing these problems.[6]
See also
References
- "Corruption, Tax Evasion, Criminal Activity Cost Tunisia US$1.16 Billion Per Year From 2000-2008". Global Financial Integrity. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
- "Transformation Index 2012-Tunisia". The Bertelsmann Foundation 2012. Archived from the original on 7 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
- "Tunisia Corruption Profile". Business Anti-Corruption Portal. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- "The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated". Transparency.org. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- "Corruption Perceptions Index 2022: Tunisia". Transparency.org. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- "Tunisia Poll: Underperforming Economy and Corruption Continue to Drive Intense Dissatisfaction". International Republican Institute. Retrieved 2023-04-07.