By Kemo Cham
Sierra Leone has moved one point up in the global ranking in the fight against corruption, the latest data from Transparency International (TI) shows.
Sierra Leone scored 35, up from 34 last year, and ranking 108 out of 180 countries, according to the annual TI Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2023, which was released on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
Last year Sierra Leone ranked 110 out of 180 countries surveyed.
The CPI provides an annual snapshot of the relative degree of corruption by ranking countries and territories from all over the globe. It uses a scale of 0 – 100, with 100 being the least corrupt country and 0 meaning the most corrupt.
In the latest data, Sierra Leone falls within the top 15 countries on the continent of Africa, at the same level with Egypt at 15th position, marking a little downward movement from 13th position last year.
Seychelles, with a score of 71, remains the top scorer on the continent, followed by Cabo Verde with a score of 64 and Botswana with 59.
At the bottom of the table lay Equatorial Guinea with a score of 17 and ranking 172; South Sudan with a score of 13 and ranking 177, and Somalia with a score of 11 and ranking bottom, 180.
These bottom countries, according to TI, have made no sign of improvement in the fight against corruption.
In the MRU, Sierra Leone is the second best performer, behind Cote d’Ivoire at the top with a score of 40 and ranking 87 in 2023, compared to its last year’s performance of 37 point and ranking 99.
Liberia scored the least, with a ranking of 145 and a score of 25, representing a drop by one point at 26 and ranking 142.
Liberia lies just under Guinea with a score of 26 and ranking 141, compared to its last year’s score of 25 and ranking 147.
Launched in 1995, the CPI is TI’s flagship research product, and it has become the leading global indicator of public sector corruption.
According to the organization, the 2023 CPI shows that corruption is thriving across the world. Over two-thirds of countries score below 50 out of 100, which strongly indicates that they have serious corruption problems, it notes.
“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,” it said in a statement accompanying the results.
The authors of the report blame the decline in accountability world wide on injustice, noting that the global trend of weakening justice systems is reducing accountability for public officials, which allows corruption to thrive.
“Both authoritarian and democratic leaders are undermining justice. This is increasing impunity for corruption, and even encouraging it by eliminating consequences for criminals,” the authors wrote.
They added: “Corrupt acts like 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.”
TI warns that corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check.
“When justice is bought or politically interfered with, it is the people that suffer. Leaders should fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption. It is time to end impunity for corruption,” says François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International.
