Ghana’s performance on the global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has declined, with the country’s score dropping from 43 in 2023 to 42 in the 2024 rankings. The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the local chapter of Transparency International, revealed this in a press release issued on February 11, noting that Ghana now ranks 80th out of 180 countries and territories assessed in this year’s report.
The GII observed that since 2015, Ghana’s CPI score has steadily declined, losing five points over the past decade. Despite various policy interventions and institutional reforms, the country continues to struggle with corruption, and the latest figures indicate that its efforts to curb the issue have not been effective. The report suggests that Ghana’s policy, legal, and administrative frameworks require further review and strengthening to address persistent governance challenges.
In response to the decline, the GII has outlined several measures that could help reverse the trend. It called on Parliament to enhance its financial oversight by empowering the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) with enforcement authority and establishing a Budget and Fiscal Analysis Department (BFAD) to improve fiscal discipline and curb the mismanagement of public funds. The judiciary has been urged to set up a specialized anti-corruption court to handle cases with greater speed and efficiency, citing Tanzania’s model as an example. The executive has also been advised to prioritize the passage of the Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill, which would strengthen regulations on asset declaration, conflicts of interest, and penalties for non-compliance.
The GII stressed that without significant reforms, Ghana’s fight against corruption will remain ineffective, and the country may continue to lose ground in global anti-corruption rankings.
