Despite a slim improvement, Guyana remains among the most corrupt countries, according to the 2010 Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index.
The 2010 report, which was released yesterday, ranked Guyana at 116 out of the 178 countries that were surveyed. The other countries that share the ranking are Ethiopia, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Vietnam. Last year, Guyana was ranked 121 out of 180 countries. Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore are tied at the top of the list while Somalia, which slightly trails Myanmar and Afghanistan, rounds out the bottom.
Based on four surveys, Guyana scored 2.7 out of 10 on the index; slightly up from the 2.6 it scored last year. The scale ranges from 0—perceived to be highly corrupt—to 10—perceived to have low levels of corruption. However, based on criteria that include the need for a year-on-year change of at least 0.3 points in a country’s score, TI did not list Guyana among countries that showed improvement.
Among CARICOM states, Barbados scored highest at 7.8 and was ranked at 17; it was followed by Dominica with a 5.2 score and ranking of 44; Trinidad and Tobago with a 3.6 score and a ranking of 73; Jamaica with a 3.3 score and ranking of 87; and Haiti with a 2.2 score and a ranking of 146. TI noted improvement in both Jamaica and Haiti. Meanwhile, no scores were available for CARICOM sister states St. Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname, after TI’s sources made adjustments in their coverage, resulting in the availability of only two surveys for those countries. For a country or territory to be included in the index, a minimum of three of the sources that TI uses must assess the country.
The four surveys used to calculate Guyana’s ranking were Global Insight’s (GI) 2010 Country Risk Ratings; the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitive Reports for 2009 and 2010; and the World Bank’s (WB) Country Policy and Institutional Assessment. The GI Country Risk Ratings, used in 201 countries, surveyed “expert staff” on the “likelihood of encountering corrupt officials, ranging from petty bureaucratic corruption to grand political corruption.” The WEF’s Global Competitiveness Reports, meanwhile, polled “senior business leaders, domestic and international companies” on “undocumented extra payments or bribes” connected with exports and imports, public utilities, tax collection, public contracts and judicial decisions.
The Guyana government has rejected the previous findings of the index, saying they were based on biased assessments.
According to TI, the index ranks countries according to perception of corruption in the public sector. It said that this year’s index draws on different assessments and business opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions, capturing information about the “administrative and political aspects” of corruption. “Broadly speaking, the surveys and assessments used to compile the index include questions relating to bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds, and questions that probe the strength and effectiveness of public sector anti-corruption efforts,” it explained.
Perceptions are used because corruption–whether frequency or amount–is to a great extent a hidden activity that is difficult to measure, TI said, while also noting that over time perceptions have proved to be a reliable estimate of corruption. It added that measuring scandals, investigations or prosecutions, while offering ‘non-perception’ data, reflect less on the prevalence of corruption in a country and more on other factors, such as freedom of the press or the efficiency of the judicial system.
In a statement accompanying the release of the index yesterday, TI noted that while governments commit huge sums to tackle the world’s most pressing problems, including the instability of financial markets to climate change and poverty, corruption remains an obstacle to achieving much needed progress. It said nearly three quarters of the 178 countries in the index score below five, indicating a serious corruption problem. “These results signal that significantly greater efforts must go into strengthening governance across the globe. With the livelihoods of so many at stake, governments’ commitments to anti-corruption, transparency and accountability must speak through their actions. Good governance is an essential part of the solution to the global policy challenges governments face today,” said Huguette Labelle, Chair of TI.
To fully address these challenges, TI said governments need to integrate anti-corruption measures in all spheres, from the responses to the financial crisis and climate change to commitments by the international community to eradicate poverty. For this reason, TI advocates stricter implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption, the only global initiative that provides a framework for putting an end to corruption. “The results of this year’s CPI show again that corruption is a global problem that must be addressed in global policy reforms. It is commendable that the Group of 20 in pursuing financial reform has made strong commitments to transparency and integrity ahead of their November summit in Seoul,” said Labelle. “But the process of reform itself must be accelerated.”
TI called on the G20 to mandate greater government oversight and public transparency in all measures they take to reduce systemic risks and opportunities for corruption and fraud in the public as well as in the private sector.
TI is a global civil society organisation with more than 90 chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin. It raises awareness of the damaging effects of corruption and works with partners in government, business and civil society to develop and implement effective measures to tackle it.
Following a recent regional TI meeting, efforts are underway to establish a local chapter.
