RAWALPINDI, Dec 6: The Global Corruption Barometer 2007 survey report released by Transparency International on Thursday says that people in Pakistan who paid bribe for obtaining services in 2007 increased to over 30 per cent from 15 per cent in ’06, a 100 per cent increase.

According to the report, the most corrupt among the 14 sectors surveyed are police (4.3 – on a scale with 5 indicating most corrupt and 1 meaning not corrupt), taxation (4.1) and utilities departments, political parties and registry and permit services (3.9), education (3.0), military (3.2) and media (3.30, with religious groups being the least corrupt (2.7).

Globally, the report says, political parties are ranked as the most corrupt (4.0) followed by police (3.6) and religious bodies (2.8).

According to the report, only 20 per cent of the citizens in Pakistan think that government’s efforts to fight corruption is somewhat effective, compared to Singapore where 88 per cent think the government’s efforts are the most effective.

The report places Pakistan among the top 10 countries which are most affected by bribery. The other countries are Albania, Cambodia, Cameroon, Macedonia, Kosovo, Nigeria, Philippines, Romania and Senegal.

The most improved sectors in anti-corruption efforts over the past 12 months are judiciary and media and the sectors in which corruption has increased are taxation and NGOs.

The survey report says the general public believe that political parties, parliament, police and the judicial-legal system are the most corrupt institutions in their societies.

It says that about one in 10 people around the world had to pay a bribe over the past 12 months and that bribery has increased in some regions, such as Asia-Pacific and south-east Europe.

The poor, whether in developing or developed countries, are the most penalised by corruption and they are more pessimistic about prospects of decline in corruption in the future. Bribery is particularly widespread in interactions with police, judiciary and registry and permit services.

Half of those interviewed fear that corruption will increase over the next three years. Half of those interviewed also think that their government’s efforts to fight corruption have been ineffective.

People were asked whether a bribe was demanded from them when they had contact with key public services, like the education sector, health system, judiciary and legal system, police, registry and permit services, tax authorities or utility providers — telephone, electricity, water and gas.

Out of the 11 services, police were reported to be the most corrupt. One in every four citizens around the world who had contact with police was asked to pay a bribe and one of every six reported to have ended up paying a bribe. Bribery is also reported to be a considerable problem with judiciary, registry and permit services, education and medical services as well as electricity providers.

The fact that after police, the judiciary emerges as the most affected sector casts serious doubts about citizens being guaranteed their democratic right of equal access to courts. If institutions like judiciary and police are beset with bribery, the study says, the very enforcement mechanisms that are crucial for effective anti-corruption efforts are hindered and public trust is undermined.

Although police is the institution most affected by bribery in five of the seven regions (Africa, Asia-Pacific, NIS — Russia and the 14 other countries that constituted the former Soviet Union —, Latin America and south-east Europe), a closer look at the results uncovers substantial regional differences. Firstly, in EU countries medical services have emerged as the most affected by bribery.

Petty corruption is a serious problem in judiciary in countries of Latin America, Asia-Pacific and North America. Finally, bribery in the education and health sectors, two of the most important sectors for human development, is a serious problem in Africa and the NIS.

Political parties and the legislatures are perceived by people around the world as institutions most tainted by corruption. In addition, police stood out as significantly more affected by corruption than other institutions and service sectors.

More than half of the citizens polled around the world expect the level of corruption to increase to some degree over the next three years. Only one in every five respondents expected the level of corruption to decrease in the near future, while one in four expected the level of corruption to stay where it is.