By: Saidu Jalloh
The Anti-Corruption Commission has issued a press release dated January 30, 2024, updating the public on Sierra Leone’s progress in Transparency International’s Global Corruption Rankings from 2022 to 2023.
According to the Commission, Sierra Leone has improved its position from 110th in 2022 to 108th out of the 180 countries surveyed in the 2023 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, published on January 30, 2024.
The Commission highlighted that Sierra Leone’s score increased from 34 in 2022 to 35 in 2023, marking the highest score the country has ever recorded since the inception of the CPI ranking and surpassing the Sub-Saharan average. They emphasized that this improvement demonstrates Sierra Leone’s consistent progress in the global fight against corruption.
Sierra Leone now leads 72 countries in the global campaign against corruption, including 31 African countries, as revealed by this year’s CPI. The Commission acknowledged mixed results in Africa, with some countries showing significant improvements, while others experienced stagnation. Despite the region’s overall poor performance, Sierra Leone performed better than the Sub-Saharan Africa average for the fourth consecutive year.
The CPI, an annual survey by Transparency International, assesses perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide. The Commission noted Sierra Leone’s outstanding performance in the control of corruption indicator in the Millennium Challenge Scorecard, maintaining excellent scores above 70% for six consecutive years.
Additionally, the Commission referenced other global corruption measurement institutions like Afrobarometer, which confirmed a consistent reduction in corruption prevalence from 70% in 2015 to 40% in 2019. These positive trends showcase Sierra Leone’s dedication to combating corruption and its success in achieving tangible results over the past several years.
