Singapore, which always does well in international corruption indices, is spending more effort than ever before on its anti-corruption efforts.

Singapore's government is planning to bump up the headcount at its Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau and set up a corruption reporting centre. Its efforts will culminate in a review of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Suvendu Ganguli, a frequent contributor to our pages, took a sideswipe at the bonus culture at banks such as HSBC in the local Straits Times: "A culture of high bonus payments often creates risks of unethical behaviour. When substantial rewards are at stake, corners may be cut and excessive risks may be taken. In an age of frequent change, there is less loyalty to organisations and the traditional values they may represent. When there is excessive focus on material rewards, the risk of unethical behaviour also increases."

Singapore has always done well on the Transparency International corruption perceptions index, sometimes holding the top spot and, at the last count last year, occupying position number 7. All the countries that rank higher at the moment are Teutonic and protestant.