Ghana Remains Stagnant in Corruption- Transparency International
The Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International (TI) has depicted a stagnated prevalence of corruption in Ghana.
Ghana has maintained its score of 43 out of 100 in the 2023 Corruption Perception Index, published today, January 30, 2024. The country ranks 70th on a list of 180 countries worldwide.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana was 8th.
The data from TI showed that the decline or stagnation in the corruption fight is not particular to Ghana, as the world is witnessing corruption gaining roots and thriving.
In its general observation, TI says regions are either stagnant in their overall corruption efforts or showing signs of decline.
“Over two-thirds of countries score below 50 out of 100, which strongly indicates that they have serious corruption problems. The global average is stuck at only 43, while the vast majority of countries have made no progress or declined in the last decade. What is more, 23 countries fell to their lowest scores to date this year.”
The global civil society organisation established that both authoritarian and democratic leaders are undermining justice by reducing accountability for public officials.
It posited, “Bribery and abuse of power are also infiltrating many courts and other justice institutions across the globe. Where corruption is the norm, vulnerable people have restricted access to justice while the rich and powerful capture whole justice systems, at the expense of the common good.”
“While Western Europe and the European Union remain the top-scoring region, its regional average score dropped to 65 this year, as checks and balances weaken and political integrity erodes. Despite improvement in some countries, Sub-Saharan Africa maintains the lowest average at 33, with democracy and the rule of law under pressure.
“The rest of the world remains stagnant with all other regions having averages under 50. Eastern Europe and Central Asia grapple with the dysfunctional rule of law, rising authoritarianism and systemic corruption.
“The Middle East and North Africa show little improvement, reflecting ongoing struggles with political corruption and conflict, and Asia Pacific shows long-term stagnation, although some countries historically at the top are backsliding. Finally, lack of judicial independence and weak rule of law are enabling widespread impunity in the Americas.”
Denmark topped the index with highest score of 90 followed by and Finland with 87 marks.
They are accordingly followed by New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany and Luxemburg.
Somalia scored the lowest mark at 11 and ranked 180th preceding Venezuela, Syria and South Sudan in Sub-Saharan Afican.
