Transparency International has released the corruption perceptions index report of 2020 ranking how countries worldwide performed in terms of managing corruption and promoting transparency.
Each year, Transparency International releases the corruption perceptions index report ranking about 180 countries worldwide with scores between 0 and 100 depending on how they dealt with the corruption problem in the past 12 months.
“This year’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) paints a grim picture of the state of corruption worldwide. While most countries have made little to no progress in tackling corruption in nearly a decade, more than two-thirds of countries score below 50. Our analysis shows corruption not only undermines the global health response to Covid-19, but contributes to a continuing crisis of democracy.” Reads the executive summary of the report.
How African countries performed
North Africa
Together with the Middle East, North Africa is still perceived as highly corrupt with an average score of 39. Libya is ranked as the most corrupt in the region with a score of 17, Egypt 33, Algeria 36, Morocco 40 while Tunisia is the only country in the region that scores above the global average of 43 with 44.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Like in previous years, Sub-Saharan Africa is again ranked lowest performing region in the world on the corruption perceptions index with an average score of 32. Majority of the countries score below the global average of 43 and it also has some of the worst performing countries in the world. These include South Sudan, Somalia both at the bottom of the list with the lowest score on the list of 12 each. Other poorly performing countries in the region include Sudan 16, Equatorial Guinea 16, D.R Congo 18, Guinea Bissau, Congo, Burundi with 19 while Eritrea, Comoros and Chad scored 21.
A few Sub-Saharan countries that are doing relatively well on the CPI, scoring above the global average score of 43 include Seychelles 66, Botswana 60, Cape Verde 58, Rwanda 54, Mauritius 53, Sao Tome and Principe 47, Senegal 45, and South Africa 44.
The Covid-19 pandemic, corruption risks associated with public procurement and the misappropriation of emergency funds are some of the key factors mentioned in the report responsible for the low CPI in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past 12 months.
International performance
Internationally, Denmark and New Zealand are the two leading countries globally in the 2020 CPI both with an average score of 88 followed by Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland all with 85 to make the top six. The top 10 list is completed by Norway 84, Netherlands 82, Germany and Luxemburg both with 80.
Other world-leading economies like Canada, United Kingdom 77 (11th) , Japan 74 (19th), France 69 (23rd), and United States 67 (25th) performed in that order.
Covid-19 impact
The report acknowledged the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had in fueling corruption around the globe in 2020.
“2020 proved to be one of the worst years in recent history, with the outbreak of the global Covid-19 pandemic and its devastating effects. The health and economic impact on individuals and communities worldwide has been catastrophic. More than 90 million people were infected and nearly 2 million people lost their lives around the world. As the past tumultuous year has shown, Covid-19 is not just a health and economic crisis, but a corruption crisis as well, with countless lives lost due to the insidious of corruption undermining a fair and equitable global response. Reports of corruption during Covid-19 have reverberated across the globe.” Read part of the report.
Recommendations
Transparency International has suggested a few recommendations for countries to fight Covid-19 and curb corruption which include;
• Strengthen oversight institutions
• Ensure open and transparent contracting
• Defend democracy, promote civic space
• Publish relevant data, guarantee access
