Jamaica's standing in the world's leading corruption index has improved slightly.

Now ranked the 61st least-corrupt country in the world by the Germany-based Transparency International's (TI) annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Jamaica gained 0.1 point, moving to 3.7, two places higher than last year's ranking - albeit with four new countries added this year.

The latest ranking was despite recent controversy over the Sandals Whitehouse project and the Trafigura 'donation' to the ruling People's National Party. Just last month Leighton McKnight, chairman of the Audit Commission, had threatened sanctions against government bodies which were failing in their mandate to establish audit committees to eliminate waste and corruption.

Based on information aggregated from polls and surveys conducted by independent institutions, the CPI ranks countries from one to 10, with a zero ranking being the most corrupt.

Developed countries Finland, Iceland and New Zealand shared the top ranking with 9.6 while impoverished Haiti ranked the worst with 1.9. The authors of CPI 2006 noting that poorer countries fared the worst, emphasised the cost of corruption to development.

"Corruption traps millions in poverty," said Transparency International Chair, Huguette Labelle. "Despite a decade of progress in establishing anti-corruption laws and regulations, today's results indicate that much remains to be done before we see meaningful improvements in the lives of the world's poorest citizens."