Pres. Ali questions Guyana’s drop on global corruption scale

Feb 14, 2025 News

---

…says Transparency Int’l ‘politically biased’

Kaieteur News-President Irfaan Ali has criticised Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranking, questioning the methodology used to assess Guyana’s standing.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event held at the Guyana Defence Force’s Headquarters in Georgetown on Thursday the head-of-state suggested that political bias may have influenced the findings, which showed Guyana slipping from 40 points in 2023 to 39 in 2024, ranking 92 out of 180 countries on the global corruption scale.

The state of Guyana has been captured by the economic and political elites here, fostering misappropriation of resources, illicit enrichment and environmental crimes, the global coalition against corruption- Transparency International said on Tuesday.

“In Guyana, state capture by economic and political elites fosters misappropriation of resources, illicit enrichment and an environmental crime,” the Transparency International report said.

It added: “Although the country has created anti-corruption institutions and laws, transparency and law enforcement are very low, and attacks on dissenting voices, activists and journalists increasingly common.”

President Ali dismissed the findings that law enforcement against corruption is weak in Guyana, asserting, “Well, I don’t know that enforcement is low. I know we have the best enforcement in the region.”

Further, he pushed back against international body findings arguing that there is no transparency in how the report itself is compiled. He said, “You see, the problem with Transparency International and the perception indicators is that there are a number of problems. One, who is it that they interview, they have to go in-depth.”

“There’s a serious political bias for these…we have to bring accountability to these indicators because when they come here, if you are interviewing someone with a bias, if you’re interviewing someone with a political motive or a political agenda, what do you expect to get?” he stated.

Notably, President Ali insisted that Guyana has made significant progress in transparency and accountability, citing praise from reputable international organisations, like the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

With Guyana’s economy expanding rapidly due to its oil boom, governance and corruption concerns remain a hot-button issue. While the government continues to tout its anti-corruption efforts, critics argue that more transparency and stricter enforcement are needed to ensure public resources are managed equitably.

The Transparency International report on Guyana is significant, given widespread complaints of massive corruption in government and accusations that billion-dollar contracts are being handed out to friends and families of government officials. Several government ministers are also fingered in corruption schemes – some allegedly owning construction companies, hotels and other businesses and have assigned persons to front them.

The report also comes on the heels of a massive scandal of corrupt allocation of state lands, which has forced the resignation of the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Sherwyn Greaves. In June 2024, disgraced former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Mae Thomas resigned as a member of the People’s Progressive Party Central Committee after she was sanctioned by the United States Government of allegedly taking bribes to facilitate the award of government contracts, passports and gun licences to the Mohameds.

Thomas had proceeded on leave pending an investigation. In September 2024, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said that the PS remains on paid leave. This was the last update from the government.

UN CONCERNS

Back in March 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) had released its findings on Guyana, expressing concerns over the nation’s institutional framework to combat corruption. The report acknowledged Guyana’s adoption of laws and regulations to tackle corruption, including the establishment of a Special Organized Crime Unit (S.O.C.U) within the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

However, it highlights lingering concerns regarding the effectiveness of the institutional setup to prevent and prosecute corruption, particularly within the police force and among high-level public officials. Specific concerns outlined in the report include instances where the Commissioner of Information failed to address public requests and the delayed enforcement of the Protected Disclosures and Witness Protection Act.

To address these issues, the Committee urged Guyana to intensify its efforts to promote good governance and combat corruption at all levels of government. This includes addressing the root causes of corruption as a priority, ensuring impartial investigation and prosecution of all corruption cases, enhancing the independence, transparency, and accountability of anti-corruption bodies, guaranteeing effective access to information held by relevant authorities, and expediting the implementation of measures to protect whistleblowers and witnesses.

Additionally, the Committee calls for thorough investigations into allegations of corruption in the management of natural resources, particularly within the oil and gas sector, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability measures in this critical area. Moreover, the Committee had expressed concern over reports of corruption and lack of transparency in the management of natural resources, particularly within the oil and gas sector. It calls for thorough investigations into allegations of corruption in this sector and emphasises the importance of transparency and accountability measures.

(Pres. Ali questions Guyana’s drop on global corruption scale)

---

• corruption, CPI, Irfaan Ali, transparency international

---