Ghana’s performance on the corruption perception index increased by a point to 41 in 2018, from its 2017 score of 40.
This left Ghana with a ranking of 78 out of 180 countries; an improvement from 2017’s rank of 81.
[contextly_sidebar id=”5iJ7MAogC381riraolAN5kcmcSgqjYAL”]According to figures from Transparency International, the score is a positive departure from the continuous drop the country has been experiencing since 2015’s score of 47.
Ghana scored 40 points out of 100 on the 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Ghana has averaged 38.75 Points from 1998 until 2017, reaching an all-time high of 48 Points in 2014 and a record low of 33 Points in 1999.
The country’s performance, according to a release by Ghana Integrity Initiative, the local chapter of Transparency International, was impacted by a number of factors including policies and initiatives by the government.
It also noted the work of state institutions like the Audit Service and the Auditor General, in particular, the manner in which they are discharging their constitutional mandate of protecting of the public purse.
The statement further says the paperless port clearing system and the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to fight corruption and corruption related offences also impacted positively on Ghana’s 2018 CPI score.
The Auditor-General, Daniel Domelovo, lauded the marginal gains made and congratulated the Audit Service in a post on Facebook on Tuesday morning.
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Transparency International, however said the Corruption Perceptions Index presents “a largely gloomy picture for Africa”.
This is because only eight of 49 countries scored more than 43 out of 100 on the index; a mark of which Ghana fell short.
“This is despite commitments from African leaders in declaring 2018 as the African Year of Anti-Corruption, this has yet to translate into concrete progress,” Transparency International said in a statement.
Seychelles scored 66 out of 100, to put it at the top of the region, followed by Botswana and Cabo Verde, with scores of 61 and 57 respectively.
At the bottom of the index for the seventh year in a row was Somalia with 10 points, followed by South Sudan with 13.
With an average score of just 32, Sub-Saharan Africa is the lowest scoring region on the index, followed closely by Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with an average score of 35.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa |citinewsroom.com | Ghana
Follow @delalibessa
