KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 24 Transparency International, in a report released today, has said that corruption in the country has increased by 58 per cent in the past one year. The report, ‘Global Corruption Barometer - Asia 2020’ revealed this on the basis of a public opinion survey conducted among thousands of citizens. The report also shows that 50 per cent of corruption cases are related to persons or organisations connected with the Office of the President or the Office of the Prime Minister. Similarly, 43 per cent of people participating in the survey said that members of the Parliament were also involved in corruption and irregularities. The report also revealed that local governments were the most corruption-sensitive. Forty per cent of the survey respondents said that local bodies were most corruption-sensitive. Of the total survey respondents, 12 per cent said they had bribed public service officials for availing services from government offices while 21 per cent used personal connections to get services. The report also reveals that election candidates influence voters by distributing cash. A report released today by Transparency International reveals that citizens across 17 countries in Asia report stagnant or rising levels of corruption, undermining equitable access to public services and trust in the government. As one of the largest surveys on corruption and bribery in the region, the research was conducted in 17 countries in Asia. Among them, neighbouring India stood first in Asia as the most corrupt country. As many as 39 per cent people participating in the survey in India admitted that they bribed government authorities. Cambodia stood second with 37 per cent and Indonesia stood third with 30 per cent. Lowest in the index is Maldives with 2 per cent people complaining of having to bribe, Japan stood second lowest with three per cent and South Korea in the third place with 10 per cent. The anti-corruption non-government organisation has revealed that age is another important factor for corruption. It said that people aged between 18 and 34 were more likely resort to bribe or use personal connections to avail services from public offices.