Corruption in Myanmar

Corruption in Myanmar is among the worst in the world. Owing to failures in regulation and enforcement, corruption flourishes in every sector of government and business.[1][2][3] Many foreign businesspeople consider corruption "a serious barrier to investment and trade in Myanmar."[4] A U.N. survey in May 2014 concluded that corruption is the greatest hindrance for business in Myanmar.[5] The ongoing civil war has significantly set back anti-corruption efforts, exacerbating the problem.

Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, which scored 180 countries on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"), gave Myanmar a score of 20. When ranked by score, Myanmar ranked 162nd among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector.[6] For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the worst score was 11 (ranked 180), and the average score was 43.[7] For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Asia Pacific countries [Note 1] was 85, the lowest score was 17 and the average score was 45; only North Korea scored lower than Myanmar in the region.[8]

In the Myanmar Business Survey 2014, corruption was the most frequently identified obstacle to business, especially with respect to obtaining firm registration, business licenses and permits from government authorities.[9]

It is common in Myanmar to charge illicit payments for government services,[10] to bribe tax collectors to secure a lower tax payment, and to bribe customs officials to avoid paying customs duties.[11]

  1. ^ Aung, Nyan Lin (8 December 2014). "Myanmar stalls in corruption rankings march". Myanmar Times.
  2. ^ "Myanma Corruption Levels". GAN Integrity Solutions. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Business Corruption in Myanmar". GAN Integrity Solutions. October 2014. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Business Corruption in Myanmar". Business Anti-Corruption Portal. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Corruption the biggest concern for Myanmar businesses: survey". Reuters. 6 May 2014.
  6. ^ "The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated". Transparency.org. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Corruption Perceptions Index 2023: Myanmar". Transparency.org. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  8. ^ "CPI 2023 for Asia Pacific: Regional Stagnation Marked by Inadequate Delivery of Anti-Corruption Commitments". Transparency.org. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  9. ^ Abe Masato; Margit Molnar (May 2014). "Myanmar Business Survey 2014: Survey Results" (PDF). Hanns Seidel Foundation. OECD and UNESCAP. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  10. ^ "Myanmar Tax Administration". Business Anti-Corruption Portal. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  11. ^ Saw, Khaing Sape (April 2015). "Tackling Myanmar's Corruption Challenge". Institute for Security and Development Policy.


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