Georgia among top 40 countries for Government integrity in Heritage Foundation’s Economic Freedom Index
The Georgian Government on Thursday responded to the latest Economic Freedom Index by the Heritage Foundation. Photo: Government press office
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The Economic Freedom Index of the Washington-based Heritage Foundation think-tank has featured Georgia among the top 40 countries in the world for Government integrity, placing it ahead of 15 member states of the European Union and NATO.
In response to the survey on Thursday, the Georgian Government Administration said the country was also ahead of “all states” in the South Caucasus and the Black Sea region in the indicator, with only the Baltic states ranked higher among former Soviet Union republics.
“In the Government Integrity indicator, Georgia received 62.9 points out of a total 100, marking a jump by 31 places over the past 10 years”, the Government press office said.
The Government also said its integrity had been evaluated by criteria related to perception of corruption, bribery risks, and control of corruption.
Ranked 35th among 184 countries in the index, Georgia is also ahead of 11 European Union member states and all candidate countries aspiring for membership in the bloc.
Published annually, the conservative think-tank’s Index covers 12 freedoms – from property rights to financial freedom – in 184 countries, grouped into four broad categories that include rule of law, Government size, regulatory efficiency and open markets.
In its 29th edition of the index, the Heritage Foundation said Georgia was considered a “moderately free” economy that performed “quite well in some key policy areas”.