Ghana for the 3rd consecutive year, scores 43 out of a possible clean score of 100 and ranks 72 out of 180 countries and territories included in the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released today by Transparency International (TI). This score, reflects a lack of progress in the country’s fight against corruption.
Addressing the problem of corruption is critical now more than ever as corruption is a major contributor to the country’s current economic woes as evinced by several reports including that of the Auditor General’s report on Government of Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure.
This year’s index focuses on corruption, conflict and security. According to Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair of Transparency International:
“Corruption has made our world a more dangerous place. As governments have collectively failed to make progress against it, they fuel the current rise in violence and conflict – and endanger people everywhere. The only way out is for states to do the hard work, rooting out corruption at all levels to ensure governments work for all people, not just an elite few.”
Ghana’s Performance vis-a-vis other Sub-Saharan African (SSA) Countries
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the 2022 CPI shows a dire situation as most countries including Ghana have failed to make progress in reducing corruption.
The top performers in the region are Seychelles (70), followed by Cabo Verde (60), Botswana (60) and Rwanda (51), whereas Burundi (17), Equatorial Guinea (17), South Sudan (13) and Somalia (12) have the lowest scores.
In terms of trends, the 2022 CPI reveals that from 2012 to 2022, 25 countries significantly improved their scores.
The SSA region recorded the highest percentage of countries (28% – 7 out of 25); Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Seychelles and Tanzania experiencing significant improvements in their scores. Conversely, 31 countries significantly declined in their scores since 2012. SSA represent 10% (3 out of the 31 countries – Lesotho, Liberia and Mali) of countries with significant declines in their scores.
Ghana with a score of 43, ranked 8th out of 49 countries in SSA which were included in the index, alongside Benin (43), Senegal (43) and South Africa (43).
Table 1: Extract of 2022 CPI Scores for SSA countries
SSA RANK COUNTRY 2022 CPI SCORE WORLD CPI 2022 RANKING 2021 CPI SCORE
1 Seychelles 70 23 70
2 Botswana 60 35 55
2 Cabo Verde 60 35 58
4 Rwanda 51 54 54
5 Mauritius 50 57 53
6 Namibia 49 59 49
7 Sao Tome and
Principe 45 65 45
8 Benin 43 72 42
8 Ghana 43 72 43
8 Senegal 43 72 43
8 South Africa 43 72 44
12 Burkina Faso 42 77 42
13 Ethiopia 38 94 39
13 Tanzania 38 94 39
Source: TI 2022 CPI Data
Global Highlights
According to TI, the 2022 CPI reveals that, despite concerted efforts and many hard-won gains, we cannot take progress against corruption for granted.
Denmark (90) tops the index this year, with Finland and New Zealand following closely, both with a score of 87. Strong democratic institutions and regard for human rights also make these countries some of the most peaceful in the world according to the Global Peace Index .
The least performing countries are Somalia (12), Syria (13) and South Sudan (13). They are all enveloped in protracted conflicts. Years of violence and war have decimated resources and left them vulnerable to corruption, leaving governments essentially incapable of making any progress.
Since 2017, 10 countries significantly declined on their CPI scores.
▪ The significant decliners are: Luxembourg (77), Canada (74), the United Kingdom (73), Austria (71), Malaysia (47), Mongolia (33), Pakistan (27), Honduras (23), Nicaragua (19) and Haiti (17).
▪ 8 countries improved on the CPI during that same period: Ireland (77), South Korea (63), Armenia (46), Vietnam (42), the Maldives (40), Moldova (39), Angola (33) and Uzbekistan (31).
Corruption, Conflict and Security
TI posits that corruption, conflict and security are profoundly intertwined. The misuse, embezzlement or theft of public funds can deprive the very institutions of resources they need to fulfil their mandate which include protecting citizens, enforcing the rule of law and safeguarding peace.
In Ghana, corruption continues to negatively affect citizens trust in government and institutions , hinders the provision of essential services3, impedes economic development and creates vulnerabilities that have the tendency of being exploited by extremists. Corruption if not addressed has a potential to lead to social unrest and conflict. As such, it is essential that, steps are taken to combat corruption in order to ensure a more peaceful and secure society.
Recommendations
To address the problem of corruption in Ghana, GII recommends the following:
1. Relevant state agencies must address security vulnerabilities and protect the country against external threats. This should include measures such as strengthening the defence sector, increasing intelligence and security capabilities, and control the perceived politicisation of enlistment/employment. Strengthening the professionalism of the defence sector and improve border security to counter smuggling, illicit trade and potential terrorist activities
2. Government must promote economic development and reduce barriers to investment. This includes the implementation of effective monetary and fiscal policies and the creation of a transparent environment in the public and private sectors where corrupt practices are easily identified and addressed more effectively
3. The Executive should urgently take steps to lay the Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill in Parliament while we call on the Legislature to attach equal level of urgency to its timely passage
4. Parliament should ensure implementation of recommendations contained in the Auditor General’s report by referring it to the Attorney General to recover lost funds and prosecute persons found culpable to have engaged in fraud, misapplication or embezzlement of state resources.
5. The Auditor General must exercise its powers of disallowance and surcharge per Article 187 (7) of the 1992 Constitution to recover misappropriated funds and prevent the reoccurrence of wastage in the public sector
6. Government should as a matter of urgency ensure that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is adequately resourced to enable the office effectively perform its mandate of prevention, prosecution and recovery of proceeds of corruption and corruption related offences
7. Government should intensify efforts at expanding the digitization programme to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to promote the ease of doing business and reduce opportunities for corruption.
About the Corruption Perceptions Index
Since its inception in 1995, the Corruption Perceptions Index has become the leading global indicator of public sector corruption. The Index scores 180 countries and territories around the world based on perceptions of public sector corruption, using data from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and consulting companies, think tanks and others. The scores reflect the views of experts and business people.
The process for calculating the CPI is regularly reviewed to make sure it is as robust and coherent as possible, most recently by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in 2017. All the CPI scores since 2012 are comparable from one year to the next. For more information, visit www.transparency.org/cpi.
For further information and media engagements, contact GII:
Tel: 0302 760 884
Facebook: Ghana Integrity Initiative – GII
Twitter: @GhanaIntegrity
Website: www.tighana.org
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