Ghana’s ranking on the global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has dropped slightly, falling from 43 to 42 in the 2024 rankings.
This decline was revealed in a press release by the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the local chapter of Transparency International.
According to the report, “Ghana has scored 42 out of a clean score of 100 in the CPI 2024, ranking 80th out of 180 countries and territories assessed in this year’s report released by Transparency International (TI). This marks a decline from Ghana’s score of 43 in 2023, signaling a setback in the country’s anti-corruption efforts.”
The GII noted that Ghana has experienced a gradual decline in its CPI score since 2015, dropping five points over the past decade.
Despite efforts to implement policy interventions and institutional reforms, the country continues to face significant challenges in tackling corruption.
The GII explained that “since 2015 (a 10-year trend as depicted in Chart 1), Ghana has dropped 5 points on the CPI, reflecting persistent challenges in tackling corruption despite various policy interventions and institutional reforms. The decline suggests that the policy, legal and administrative reforms require further review and strengthening.”
To address this decline, the GII has recommended several key reforms. These include legislative reforms, such as empowering the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) with enforcement authority and establishing the Budget and Fiscal Analysis Department (BFAD).
The GII recommended that “Parliament should enhance its financial oversight responsibilities by empowering the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) with enforcement authority and establish the Budget and Fiscal Analysis Department (BFAD). This will enhance fiscal discipline and prevent the mismanagement of public funds.”
Additionally, the GII has called on the judiciary to establish a specialized anti-corruption court to handle corruption-related cases efficiently, similar to Tanzania.
The GII also urged the executive to prioritize the passage of the Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill to strengthen the legal framework on asset declaration, conflict of interest, and sanctions for non-compliance.