CPI top countries / Thailand anti-graft mission / Viet Nam campaign endures

CPI 2019: Trouble at the top.  “Despite some high-profile fines and prosecutions, our research shows that enforcement of foreign bribery laws among OECD countries is shockingly low. The outsized roles that some companies play in their national economies gives them political support that too often triumphs over real accountability. Some banks and businesses aren’t just too big to fail – they’re also too powerful to pay.”

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/cpi_2019_Trouble_at_the_top

 

Anti-graft mission failing (Editorial).  “The [Thai] prime minister and those in power have over the past five years "talked a good fight" against graft, but failed to match it with effective blows. That failure naturally triggered questions about transparency, or the lack thereof.”

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1845094/anti-graft-mission-failing   

 

Will Vietnam’s anti-corruption campaign endure beyond Trong?  “So while the new leadership will undoubtedly maintain the fight against corruption, it may be less broad and intense than it was under the watch of Trong. But this does not mean that the anti-corruption drive will become less consequential for Vietnam’s political economy.

Le Hong Hiep/East Asia Forum: https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2020/01/29/will-vietnams-anti-corruption-campaign-endure-beyond-trong/