58% of Nepalis think corruption is increasing in the country

Kathmandu, November 25

A recent survey has found that 58 per cent of Nepalis think that corruption is on the rise in the country in the past 12 months.

According to the Global Corruption Barometer: Asia 2020 report published by Transparency International, this mark is the highest among the 17 surveyed countries including India and China.

Thailand, the Maldives and Sri Lanka are three other countries where more than 50 per cent people think corruption is increasing.

“People perceive corruption at all levels of government in Nepal, from the top to the local level,” the report reads, “Unfortunately, there are many examples where corruption pervades daily life, including a high-profile land grab case involving senior public officials and the illegal transfer of state property.”

“Though Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli has repeatedly vowed to control corruption, his administration has done little to combat it. On the contrary, Oli has defended cabinet colleagues who have been named in such scandals, while critics raise concerns that the independent anticorruption agency has not pursued any grand corruption case.”