In a recent press conference the leader of the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) Bharrat Jagdeo, launched a verbal assault at the globally respected anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International and its local affiliate Transparency Institute Guyana Inc.(TIGI), accusing them of being anti-PPP.
This comes after a damning report published by Transparency International showing that Guyana has dropped two points in its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in 2021. Guyana moved from 41 points in 2020 to 39 points in 2021 under the installed PPP regime. This shows increased corruption under the PPP.
Guyana saw its lowest score of 27 points in 2013 under the then PPP government and its highest score of 41 in 2020 before the PPP came to power in August of that year. Under the APNU+AFC Coalition government Guyana would rise 12 points on the CPI from 29 points and a global rank of 119th in 2015 to 41 points and ranked 83rd in 2020.
Transparency International would commend Guyana’s achievements saying, “With a score of 40, Guyana is a significant improver on the CPI since 2012. While there is still much work to do, the government is demonstrating political will to hold former politicians accountable for the misuse of state resources”
The Corruption Perception Index is globally respected and seen as the most reliable metric by which to measure the prevalence of corruption in a country. Factors such as rule of law, independent legal systems and effective independent oversight of government spending help determine a Country’s score. Since coming to office the PPP has acted to prevent oversight and scrutiny with some very notable offences.
For instance the PPP illegally placed the budget of constitutional agencies under its control. This significantly weakened their ability to act independently. This move was successfully challenged in the courts by the APNU+AFC and the PPP was ordered to end the practice. The regime also spent its entire time in office so far without the oversight of a Public Procurement Commission which has not been functional since the APNU+AFC was in government.
Additionally, the PPP has amended the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act to remove opposition and civil society’s input into how monies from the NRF can be withdrawn and spent. This moved all power into the hands of the minister of finance through the national budget. The PPP is currently attempting to significantly shorten the period for scrutiny of the 2022 budget estimates. This would prevent adequate parliamentary oversight of government spending.
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