From a report released by Transparency International (TI) on January 30, 2024, Ghana has maintained its score of 43 in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2023 for the fourth consecutive time.
Also, from the CPI, the nation is ranked 70th out of 180 countries and territories. A faltering justice system is the reason behind the inertia of Ghana’s anti-corruption endeavors, according to the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the local chapter of Transparency International).
The inadequate legal system lowers public officials’ accountability, which fosters corruption as the Ghana Integrity Initiative report emphasized.
Ghana’s flat score in the CPI 2023, “Corruption and Justice,” is in line with the global trend of failing justice systems.
Transparency International notes that there has been an alarming drop in Ghana’s ranking in the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index. Ghana was rated 34 in 2015 with a score of 0.60; however, by 2023, the score had dropped to 0.55 and the country’s ranking had dropped to 61.
The GII urges Parliament to take immediate action and introduce the Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill in response to these findings. This law is expected to ensure that requirements for declaring assets are verified and that violators face harsh penalties.
Again Ghana Integrity Initiative further demands that the Executive and Legislature expedite the bill’s passage and fill in any legal gaps that might otherwise prevent some corruption cases from being prosecuted outside of the existing legal framework.
