Govt. disappointed over CPI score

Tuesday, December 6, 2011
By Edmund Mingle
The government says recent slip by Ghana in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) will not break its resolve in fighting corruption.
Rather, it will encourage the government to redouble its efforts tackling the menace in the Ghanaian society.
“As a government, we believe we have done a lot to deserve a better score,” Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, deputy Minister of Information told the Times in Accra yesterday.
He said although the government expected an improved score over that of the previous year, it would nevertheless consider the new score as a source of motivation to ensure that all sectors fought corruption with the same zeal as the Executive.

The 2011 Index report indicated Ghana, from a list of 183 countries, slipped to 69 in 2011 having scored 3.9points, from its 62nd position with 4.1points in 2010.
The deputy Minister said it was unfortunate that the perception of corruption was high for this year, saying the government was actively playing its part it the fight against the menace by instituting the appropriate measures to plugs the loopholes for corruption.
He cited President Mills’ exemplary leadership and unparalleled credibility as an open, incorruptible person, his open governance style, as well as his insistence on accountability by his appointees as key indicators of the success of the government’s efforts.

In addition, he pointed out other measures adopted by the government which he believed should have attracted a better score for the country.
These, he said, included government’s signing onto the Extractive Industry Transparency Index (EITI), the regular public declaration of proceeds from the oil and gas, the sending of the he Right to Information Bill to Parliament, the installation of new scanners at the airport to check the drug menace, strengthened the Economic and Organised Crimes Office, collaboration with the media, in addition to implementation of reforms in the revenue collection agencies, and the security services to fight corruption.
“We are implemented all these measure within these three years, and we know we deserved better,” he said.
According to him, the government would do well to regain its 4.1 score, which is Ghana’s best ever CPI score.
“We are encouraged by our historical performance of 4.1, and we resolve to even pass that mark,” he stressed.
In the latest report, the CPI scored 183 countries and territories from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean), based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, using data from 17 surveys that look at factors such as enforcement of anti¬corruption laws, access to information, and conflicts of interest.

Botswana, which is ranked 32 globally with a score of 6.1 out of 10, was adjudged Africa's cleanest nation. Cape Verde, Mauritius and Rwanda followed suit, with ranks of 41, 46 and 49 with scores of 5.5, 5.1 and 5.0 respectively.
New Zealand is ranked the least corrupt nation on earth, with a score of 9.5. The Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland and Norway followed suit, with scores of 9.4, 9.4 and 9.3 out of a clean score of 10 respectively.
END