Regional Corruption Report (Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, and Essay

Regional Corruption Report (Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, and Ukraine) - Essay Example /noferrous metals, oil, machines, grain, wool, mean, chemicals, coal GNI per capita: US $6, 740 Ratings Corruption Perceptions Index 20102 Rank 105, Score 2.9 Index of Economic Freedom 20113 Rank 78, Score 62.1 Global Competitiveness Index 20104 Rank 72, Score 4.13 Freedom House 20105 Political Rights Score: 6; Civil Liberties Score: 5; Status: Not Free. Human Development Index 20106 Rank 66 World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index 20107 Rank 59. Map of Kazakhstan taken from http://www.bjchinesetranslation.com/maps_of_the_world/map_of_kazakhstan.htm (Retrieved 2 May 2011). Flag of Kazakhstan Taken From: http://www.mapsofworld.com/flags/kazakhstan-flag.html (Retrieved 2 May 2011). Country Profile: Russian Federation8 Geography Capital: Moscow Location: North Asia, on the borders with Artic Ocean and Europe and the North Pacific Ocean. Size: 17 Million sq. km Government Federation, Presidential head of state President: Dmitriy Medvedev (Elected 2 March 2008 with 70. 28% vote). Prime Min ister: Vladimir Putin (Appointed since 8 May 2008). People Population: 140.3 million as at 2010. Main Language: Russian Main religions: Christianity, Islam Live Expectancy: Men, 62 years; women, 74 years. Death Rate: 16.04/1,000 population Birth Rate: 11.05/1000 population Economy Monetary currency: 1 rouble = 100 kopecks Major exports: oil, gas, wood, metals, chemicals, weapons and military equipment. GNE per capita: US$9,370 Ratings Corruption Perceptions Index 20109 Rank 154, Score 2.1 Index of Economic Freedom Rank 143, Score 50.5 Global Competitiveness Index 201010 Rank 63, Score 4.24 Freedom House 201011 Political Rights Score: 6; Civil Liberties Score: 5; Status: Not Free. Human Development Index 201012 Rank, 65. World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index 201013 Rank 123 Map of Russia... Therefore, as low as Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine scored on the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index, this was an improvement over previous years. The problem for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) dates back to the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was at this time that these countries have been transitioning from socialist and centrally oriented states to â€Å"multiparty democracies and market-based economic system†. Many of these countries did not have and continue to struggle with maintaining legal and political frameworks necessary for supporting open market economies. Thus, these transitioning states became breeding groups for corruption. The World Bank reports that the decline in corruption corresponds with the strengthening of legal and political regimes in the CIS. All indications are that corruption appears to continue to be problematic in Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. As of 2011, reports reveal trends that require purposeful action. Nichol informs that as states in transition, the increasing influx of foreign funds relative to foreign investment in oil and gas, together with lower wages among government officials and weak legal and political institutions are favourable to corruption. In fact, the increases in gas and oil exports in Kazakhstan have only increased the corruption trends. TORO, the contact for Transparency International in Ukraine wrote to the President of the European Council expressing concern on behalf of Transparency International for the â€Å"high level of corruption in Ukraine†.