Monrovia — The latest corruption index report released by Transparency International and its affiliate here in Liberia, the Center for Transpaprency and Accounability Liberia reveals that Liberia has dropped seven points in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), ranking 145 out of 180 countries in 2023.
The report highlights a consistent decline, emphasizing Liberia's position as the only West African country to decrease by seven points over the last six years.
Anderson Miamen, the Executive Director of CENTAL, expressed worry about Liberia's persistent poor performance globally and attributes it, in part, to the government's failure to address a culture of impunity for corruption. Despite enacting and amending anti-corruption laws, there has been weak enforcement, particularly concerning officials sanctioned by the US government for corruption. Miamen stressed the need for robust support for public integrity institutions like the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and Public Procurement and Concession Commission to effectively combat corruption.
He also called for collective efforts from civil society, media, ordinary citizens, and other stakeholders to actively engage in the fight against corruption, expressing hope that with united efforts, Liberia can make significant progress in battling corruption and promoting good governance.
Miamen underscored the importance of President Boakai demonstrating true leadership in the fight against corruption. The proposed measures include appointing individuals with unblemished records, disclosing and publishing the president's assets, incomes, and liabilities, and extending the same requirements to government officials.
CENTAL urged the General Auditing Commission to conduct timely audits of the inauguration budget, expenditures, and the government's consolidated account. This comes in response to controversies surrounding the closing balance of the Coalition for Democratic Change-led government as of January 22, 2024.
The transparency and accountability institution acknowledged the commitment from legislators to declare their assets, incomes, and liabilities, urging them to promptly undergo audits and ensure transparency in their processes.
The organization further urged the Unity Party regime to investigate the lingering passport scandal at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to release the findings promptly.
