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Ghana's share on the Corruption Perception Index improves
Accra, Sept. 23, Ghanadot/GNA - Ghana ranked 67 out of 180
countries with a score of 3.9 out of 10 in the Corruption
Perception Index (CPI) for this year, Ghana Integrity
Initiative (GII) said on Tuesday.
This is an improvement from a score of 3.7 last year, which
placed Ghana at 69 out 180 countries captured in the CPI
report.
Mr Vitus Azeem, Executive Secretary of GII, the local
Chapter of Transparency International (TI), who launched the
CPI, said this year's score took Ghana back to its highest
score ever of 3.9 which it obtained in 2002.
Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden shared the highest score of
9.3, while Somalia placed last with a score of 1.0.
He noted that, the improvement was as a result of Ghana
scoring high on
a number of determinant factors, including the enactment of
laws aimed at promoting transparency and accountability, the
creation and support of anti-corruption and accountability
institutions by government and development partners.
"One should also mention pronouncement by government
officials about
what government is doing to curb corruption," he said.
Mr Azeem, however, noted that it was not encouraging that
after eight
years of declaring zero tolerance for corruption, Ghana had
still not reached the halfway score of five on the CPI,
adding that five years was also a long time for Ghana to
return to its highest score ever.
He blamed Ghana's inability to reach the halfway mark on the
low level
of enforcement of anti-corruption laws on reports that
government does little
or nothing about and the impunity with which public
officials reacted to such allegations.
"While we might rejoice at the improvement of scores from
3.7 to 3.9,
we should recognize that there is more to be done - in fact
the trend should awaken us to the fact that we are far from
winning the fight against corruption.
"In spite of some gains corruption remains an enormous drain
on Ghana's limited resources which can better be used for
education, health and infrastructure," he said.
Mr. Azeem said in order to consolidate and improve on the
gains made,
there was need to fast track the passage of the freedom of
information law, ensure that the assets declaration law was
complied with and that disclosures can be verified.
"We must also ensure that the outgoing president, Vice and
all ministers declare their assets before they leave office
and the incoming administration must do the same before they
take office as required by law," he said.
He also called for an independent prosecutor who would be
free of influences from the government, empowerment of the
anti-corruption and accountability institutions,
strengthening of the whistle blower act and separation of
the government from the ruling party to prevent state
resources being used for party purposes.
Touching of the forthcoming elections, he called on
political parties to desist from vote buying and the use of
intimidation to ensure that the integrity of the process was
protected.
"We call on the leaders of the political parties to preach
peace and call their supporters to order and curb the
isolated clashes taking place in parts of the country."
Ghana's score on the CPI was better than some of its
sub-regional neighbours, including Burkina Faso, 3.5,
Nigeria and Togo both with a score of 2.7.
Other scores from Africa included Zimbabwe, 1.8, DR Congo
and Equatorial Guinea, 1.7, Chad, Sudan and Guinea, 1.6,
Swaziland, 3.6, Morocco, 3.5, Madagascar and Senegal, 3.4
each.
Meanwhile some African countries scored higher than Ghana.
They include Botswana, 5.8, Mauritius, 5.5, South Africa,
4.9 and Namibia, 4.5.
Ghana also did better than countries such as Iraq, 1.3,
Afghanistan, 1.5, Haiti, 1.4 and Myanmar, 1.3.
GNA
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