Taiwan ranked 37th among 180 countries surveyed in the 2009 TI Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) rating with a score of 5.6, two notches higher than the previous year, according to TI-Taiwan.

TI-Taiwan released the report in Taipei on behalf of TI -- a Berlin-based global coalition against corruption.

TI uses a 0-10 scoring system to compile the CPI rating. The higher the score, the lower the likelihood of corruption in a country's government.

Taiwan ranked fourth in Asia, trailing Singapore (9.2), Hong Kong (8.2) and Japan (7.7), but was slightly better than South Korea, which ranked 43rd with a score of 5.5, according to TI-Taiwan.

China ranked 79th with a score of 3.6 among the 180 countries listed, compared with India's 84th place with a score of 3.4 and Russia's 146th place with a score of 2.2.

Topping the list were New Zealand, Denmark, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland, in that order. The United States ranked 19th with a score of 7.5.

TI-Taiwan Chairman Hung Yung-tai said it seems that Taiwan has rebounded from its quagmire of 39th place in 2008 -- the worst TI corruption rating the country had ever received.

"Nevertheless, there is still plenty of room for improvement in efforts to build a clean government," Hung said.

Responding to the latest TI report on perceived corruption levels, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said the string of corruption, embezzlement and fraud offenses committed by former President Chen Shui-bian, his family and high-ranking officials working for him had severely dented Taiwan's international image.

Thanks to the series of measures that the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou has taken over the past year, however, Taiwan's image has improved, MOJ officials said.

"Efforts will continue to secure the country a clean administration," the officials went on.

Responding to a call made by the private Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan for the government to allow the private sector access to government information and data banks, the MOJ officials said the administration has been working toward that goal, in addition to making efforts to eradicate graft and malfeasance, vote-buying and to boost integrity in the private sector.

(By Deborah Kuo)