Kathmandu, December 7:

Fifteen per cent of the Asians and 23 per cent of the Latin Americans, who were among those taking part in a fresh worldwide poll, Global Corruption Barometer 2006, said their governments were actually encouraging corruption.

Sixty-nine per cent of the respondents said their governments are not effective in fighting corruption, or that governments make no effort to fight corruption, or that they actually encourage corruption. Only 22 per cent of the respondents said their governments’ actions against corruption are “effective” or “very effective”.

According to the poll, most respondents have a poor opinion of their government’s anti-corruption efforts.

“Millions of people around the world said corruption is prevalent in their lives,” the Transparency International (TI), which conducted the poll, said in a press release, citing the results of the poll. “The people want governments to take urgent action to put an end to corruption.”

Many American respondents, however, were more positive about government efforts to combat corruption, though African views about government actions against corruption were mixed.

According to the poll, 42 per cent of Europeans and 50 per cent of North Americans think their governments’ action are ineffective.

“The worldwide poll shows that corruption has a dramatic effect on the lives of individuals. Its power is enormous,” Huguette Labelle, chair of the TI, said.

“When basic services like electricity are denied to the poor because they cannot afford to pay a small bribe, there is no light at home, no warmth for the children, the government cannot escape from its responsibility to fight corruption.”

The poll also revealed that people consider paying bribes “essential” while availing themselves of public services. Political parties continue to be seen as most corrupt. Corruption affects personal, political and commercial life, it said. “The UN Convention Against Corruption is a key to combating corruption in the world,” the poll concludes.