The rapid deterioration of economic conditions in Zimbabwe has fueled corruption, said country officials of the watchdog group Transparency International who added that little is being done to combat corruption despite high-level condemnation.
They said widespread shortages have expanded opportunities for corruption.
Many observers have dismissed the government's Anti-Corruption Commission as an ineffective body, noting the political selection of the commission's chair.
"The commission is answerable to the executive," Executive Director Killron Dembe of Transparency Zimbabwe told AFP. As a result, he said, "it's limited in terms of independence and it's major challenges are resources and capacity."
The commission's spokeswoman declined to comment immediately on the report.
A 2006 Transparency report on global corruption ranked Zimbabwe 130 out of 163 countries. Chairman Goodwill Shana of Transparency International Zimbabwe said there was plenty of room for improvement if the right measures were taken.
But as matters stand, Shana told reporter Ndimyake Mwakalyelye of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe, the government has only given lip service to tackling corruption.