Financial Transparency Coalition

Standing at the pump, watching the numbers tick away, do you ever wonder where the money goes? You're not alone: People on the other end of the pipeline are wondering too. While we feel the pinch in our pockets, citizens of oil-producing countries are often not seeing the profits.

Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International, presents the 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which measures the perceived level of public-sector corruption in 180 countries and territories around the world. The CPI is a "survey of surveys", based on 13 different expert and business surveys.

The USA topped the Financial Secrecy Index. The state of Delaware was used as an example of incorporation practice for the purposes of the research – because unlike most places surveyed the US research necessarily had to be based on both federal and state law. This short video explains some of the issues involved, many of which have been quite unsettling for commentators in the USA who have been surprised to find themselves at the centre of a debate on secrecy jurisdictions.

Richard Murphy of the Tax Justice Network and Tax Research LLP, explains the brand new Financial Secrecy Index. For more information see secrecyjurisdictions.com and the FSI web site.