CROATIA PLACED 47TH ON CORRUPTION CHART

ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - Corruption remains a big pestilence around the world, though there are indications that the struggle against it has begun to yield some results, the Transparency International (TI) organisation said in its report issued on Monday. According to the report, Croatia sits on the 47th place among 91 countries, which makes an improvement, although not significant, from last year's standing. #L# The new report gives us a ray of hope. More governments and business organisations are, although humbly, starting to undertake positive steps in corruption prevention. The civil initiative is starting to urge politicians to act in all corners of the world, said the head of the TI, Peter Eigen. This anti-corruption non-governmental organisation issues a list and indices of the most corrupt governments every year. This year it has placed Bangladesh in the first place, with Nigeria, Uganda and Indonesia as runners-up. Russia is also among the leading countries as to corruption. The least corrupt countries, according to the report, are Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, Island, Singapore and Sweden. Croatia is on the 47th place, alongside Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, which makes an improvement in relation to the previous two years when it was placed 74th in 1999 and 51st in 2000. The section of the report focusing on Central and Southeast Europe and Baltic countries states that the development of a transparent democracy in Croatia was still in its beginnings. The creation of foundations for a transparent democracy in Croatia and Yugoslavia since the departure of heads of state from power (Franjo Tudjman and Slobodan Milosevic) has only just begun, the report said. (hina) lml sb