Ghana for the 3rd consecutive year scored 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 the government of Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, Seychelles scored the highest mark of 70 to place 1st followed by Botswana and Cabe Verde who all scored 60. Rwanda scored 51 while Mauritius occupies the 5th position with a CPI score of 50.
“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 represents 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),” the report captured.
Across the globe, the report captured that “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 Index1”.
