Tonga ranks 175 in TI list [1]
Sunday, October 7, 2007 - 12:53. Updated on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 18:44.
Editor,
I began reading with interest the Transparency International press release published on your Website yesterday. In the past I have always admired and followed the work of this organization.
However, having seen the rankings at the bottom of the press release and Tonga's entry in this list at 175, just ahead of Haiti, Iraq, Myanmar and Somalia, but behind Afghanistan, Bangladesh, etc. I have lost all respect for this organization's work.
As a non-Tongan who has been living and working in Tonga for a considerable amount of time over the last 15 years I am stunned that anyone would suggest that Tonga is a corrupt country, let alone suggest it should reside with these countries that have suffered, and continue to suffer, from corruption of a most horrific nature. I have been an international consultant for 20 years and have worked in most countries in the Pacific as well as in many Asian countries and I have found Tonga to be the least corrupt of all that I have worked in. The Tongan Government expounds a zero tolerance policy towards corruption and I am happy to say to anyone that I have seen this policy rigorously enforced during my time here.
This type of blatant misinformation about Tonga offends me deeply and I have written to Transparency International expressing my disgust at the damage they are doing to this wonderful country by issuing such a misguided corruption index. I have invited Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International, to come to Tonga to see the country for herself and to explain to me how they came to such a bizarre ranking of what I believe to be a relatively corruption free society and country.
Rob Solomon
Solomon Leonard Ltd
rsolomon [at] pmo [dot] gov [dot] to