Namibia - CountryWatch

Corruption Perceptions Index Investment Overview
Editor's Note
:
As of 2011 and well into 2012, the global economic crisis (emerging in 2008) has affected many countries
across the world, resulting in changes to their rankings. Among those countries affected were top
tier economies, such as the United Kingdom, Iceland, Switzerland and Austria. However, in all these
cases, their rankings have moved slightly upward in the last year as anxieties ease. The United States
continues to retain its previous slight downgrade due to the threat of default surrounding the debt ceiling
crisis in that country, matched by a conflict-ridden political climate. Other top tier countries, such
as Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and Italy, suffered some effects due to debt woes and the concomitant
effect on the euro zone. Greece, another euro zone nation, was also downgraded due to its sovereign
debt crisis; however, Greece's position on the precipice of default incurred a sharper downgrade.
Cyprus' exposure to Greek bank yielded a downgrade in its case. Slovenia and Latvia have been
slightly downgraded due to a mix of economic and political concerns but could easily be upgraded in a
future assessment, should these concerns abate. Despite the "trifecta of tragedy" in Japan in 2011 --
the earthquake, the ensuing tsunami, and the resulting nuclear crisis -- and the appreciable destabilization
of the economic and political terrain therein, this country has only slightly been downgraded.
Japan's challenges have been assessed to be transient, the government remains accountable, and there
is little risk of default. Both India and China retain their rankings; India holds a slightly higher ranking
than China due to its record of democratic representation and accountability. At the low end of the
spectrum, devolving security conditions and/or economic crisis have resulted in countries like Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Zimbabwe maintaining their low ratings. In the case of Mexico,
there is limited concern about default, but increasing alarm over the security situation in that country
and the government's ability to contain it. Political unrest in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Bahrain
and Yemen have contributed to a decision to marginally downgrade these countries as well; Syria
incurred a sharper downgrade due to the devolution into de facto civil war. Finally, a small but significant
upgrade was attributed to Cuba due to its recent pro-business reforms.
Source
:
CountryWatch Inc. www.countrywatch.com
Updated
:
2012
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Corruption Perceptions Index
Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index
Editor's Note:
Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index is a composite index which ranks countries
in terms of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials. This index indicates
the views of national and international business people and analysts about the levels of corruption
in each country. The highest (and best) level of transparency is indicated by the number, 10. The
lower (and worse) levels of transparency are indicated by lower numbers.
91 Namibia Review 2013