RABAT, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani said on Thursday that his government will further strengthen its efforts to fight corruption.
El Othmani hailed Morocco's nine-spot advance in its world ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2017 compared to a year earlier.
According to the list released on Wednesday, the North African kingdom ranks 81st out of 180 countries with 40 points, as opposed to 90th with 37 points in 2016.
The Moroccan prime minister said the government places fighting corruption as its top priority as it has set up the National Anti-Corruption Committee and strictly implemented the National Anti-Corruption Strategy in partnership with the civil society.
The number of annual reported corruption cases has risen from 7,000 to 13,000 since the launch of a toll-free anti-corruption hotline by the Ministry of Justice and Liberties in 2015, El Othmani noted.
These reports have led to the conviction of dozens of people, who were sentenced to imprisonment in 31 corruption cases, he said.
The government has also taken measures to protect the informants, while making laws to ensure an effective system of transparency, the prime minster added.
