Lithuania is among the worst European Union member states in terms of opening up and using data crucial for public interest, according to a global data barometer.
Lithuania scored 37 out of 100 points in the first-ever survey and was ranked the last in the region, alongside Greece and Malta, Transparency International Lithuanian Chapter said on May 18.
Lithuania received the lowest score on the availability and use of data on companies (seven out of 100). In this area, Lithuania is the worst performer among all EU countries assessed, ranking 26th in the region.
Lithuania received the highest score in the area of public procurement data, 72 out of 100, ranking fifth in the region. In the area of health and Covid-19 data, Lithuania scored 50 points and ranked 21st. The country received 39 points in the area of public finance and ranked 25th, followed by 28 points in land management (18th), 27 points in policy transparency (21st) and 10 points in climate policy (23rd).
“The message of this study is clear: we need to do better. It’s clear that the new transparency standard is based on open and easily accessible public sector data. I would very much like the results of this survey to encourage civil servants and politicians to break the taboo and open up data on companies, their owners and other data that are important for the country’s economy and public interest,” said Sergejus Muravjovas, head of TILC.
The Global Data Barometer looks at the data governance, capacity, accessibility and use of data for the public good in 109 countries across a range of thematic areas. It’s an initiative of Data for Development (D4D.net) and ILDA. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
