Maldives fell by three points and ten positions in the latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking.
This year’s CPI reveals that corruption levels are at a worldwide standstill.
The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories around the world by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
Maldives was given a score of 40 and ranks 85 out of 180 countries on the CPI list. Maldives previously scored 43 and ranked 75 in the 2020 CPI ranking.
Transparency Maldives issued a statement expressing concern over the poor performance. They noted the progress in strengthening the regulatory system, however, the data shows Maldives is still falling behind when it comes to implementation and enforcing the laws to tackle corruption. Moreover, the country has experienced weak investigation, prosecution, enforcement, and implementation of laws, along with a lack of accountability of political and public officials.
Transparency Maldives made five recommendations to improve the current situation;
- Ensure obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) are being met, strengthen preventive, monitoring, verification, and enforcement mechanisms, and proactively disclose information on the mechanisms implemented and progress made
- Ensure informed and participation of the public in decision-making, by guaranteeing access to information and publishing relevant, easy, accessible, timely data, on corruption, public spending, and resource distribution
- Strengthen the capacity and resources of State Institutes to conduct a full, transparent, and timely investigation and prosecution. Anti-corruption authorities and oversight institutions must have sufficient funds, resources, and independence to perform their duties, free from intimidation and political influence
- Defend democracy and promote civic space by fully implementing laws, especially related to human trafficking and whistleblowing, thus, creating an enabling condition for human rights defenders to hold human rights abuses, including the government accountable
- Hold political and public officials accountable through strengthening asset declaration regime, ending the abuse of state resources, and vote bribing
Furthermore, Transparency Maldives expressed concern regarding the delay in the appointment of new members to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) after all its members resigned citing political intimidation and influence in their investigations which contributed to their lack of productivity.
