LIBERIA PERFORMANCE INCREASES BY 2% IN 2024 CORRUPTION INDEX REPORT CENTAL DISCLOSES

By Laymah Kollie

February 11, 2025

Monrovia: Liberia has secured a narrow increase in this year Corruption Perception Index Report. The country’s performance in fighting against corruption 2024 was scored 27 points, an increase of 2 points from 25 points in 2023.

Liberia is ranked 141/180 among countries covered by CPI 2024, compared to 145/180 in 2023. For the first time in 7 years, Liberia moved 2 points up the CPI ladder, from a score of 25 in 2023 to 27 in 2024. This is corroborated by CENTAL’s 2023 State of Corruption Reports, which reveal that 90% of Liberians think Corruption level is high in the country, with low citizens’ confidence in the executive branch of government to tackle the problem.

Since 1995, the Corruption Perception Index has been scoring and ranking countries based on how corrupt their public sectors are perceived, according to experts and business executives. The score ranges from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), where 0 equals the highest level of perceived public sector corruption and 100 equals lowest level of perceived public sector corruption, based on the views of experts.

In 2024, 180 Countries were targeted, just as in 2023. International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2024 focuses on how corruption is undermining global, regional, and national climate actions. The CPI draws upon 13 data sources capture the assessment of experts and business executives on a number of corrupt behaviors in the public sector. These corrupt practices and behaviors which  include bribery, diversion of public funds and supplies, use of public office for private gain, procurement irregularities, state capture, and nepotism in the civil service.

Also, some of the sources assess mechanisms available to prevent and address corruption in a country. Examples include government’s ability to enforce integrity mechanisms; financial, logistical, and moral support to anti-graft institutions; independence and viability of anti-graft institutions; the effective prosecution of corrupt officials and others accused of corruption; conflict of interest prevention; access to information; freedom of speech and the media; and legal protection for human rights defenders and anti-corruption campaigners, whistleblowers, witnesses, journalists, and investigators.

Delivering the results on Tuesday, the Executive Director of Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) Mr. Anderson Miamen, said the latest ranking shows marginal progress in the new administration’s anti-corruption efforts saying much work still needs to be done as the country has remained one of the biggest global decliners since 2014, dropping by 10 points.

The country’s performance on the CPI has been hugely disappointing, cementing her position among the worst performers on the continent and the sub-region “CENTAL is deeply concerned over Liberia’s consistent poor performance especially her place among the world’s Worst Decliners”.

He added “Even though we acknowledge the 2-point increase under the first year of the Boakai-Koung led government, we caution against complacency, as immunity for corruption still remains high. While President Boakai has acted to suspend and dismiss some officials accused of corruption, he has failed to do likewise for others, giving an indication of partiality in his anti-graft efforts”

CENTAL holds the view that President Boakai’s moves to declare and publish his assets, incomes and liabilities is laudable, but his gross failure to punish his non-complaint officials raises questions about his ability to fully match his anti-corruption commitments with deeds”

On the regional front, Miamen said the report found that Saharan Africa’s systemic corruption is severely undermining climate action and other accountability efforts. The region has once again registered the lowest average score globally. He noted that 33 out of 100, is below the global average of 43. African countries desperately need vast amounts of climate finance to implement their nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

The climate action plans submitted to the United Nations (UN). Climate action faces a significant threat from corruption in the region, including misappropriation, theft, misallocation, and poor oversight. This highlights the need for robust mechanisms to ensure that funds allocated to climate projects and other interventions benefit communities that are desperately dependent on them. In the region, countries suffering the worst effects of the climate crisis, include Equatorial Guinea (13), Eritrea (13), Somalia (9) and South Sudan ranking   the most corrupt.