NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas has dropped one spot to being ranked at 30 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s 2020 Corruption Perception Index (CPI).
The Bahamas scored 63 points out of 100 on the index. Barbados, which ranked at 29, scored 64. New Zealand and Denmark both ranked number one, each with a score of 88.
The Bahamas has ranked at 29 on the index the previous two years. The rank means The Bahamas is perceived as a notably transparent country.
The report states that a country or territory’s score indicates the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale from zero to 100. Zero means the country is perceived as highly corrupt and 100 means the country is perceived as very clean.
The Corruption Perception Index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, according to experts and business people.
Transparency International noted: “The 2020 CPI report highlights the impact of corruption on government responses to COVID-19, comparing countries’ performance in the index to their investment in healthcare and the extent to which democratic norms and institutions have been weakened during the pandemic.”
Chauntez Dillet-Wilson, the Organization for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) communications coordinator, speaking on the ranking told Eyewitness News: “I think that it’s interesting to note that we have dropped one spot in our ranking and rating.
“It’s a small drop, but if you look at the data over the past decade, our scores have consistently dropped year over year by various small amounts. That indicates that we are perhaps seeing a slow erosion of our transparency mechanisms within the country.
“The methodology they use is aggregate and they get it from different contributor indexes. The Bahamas only participates in three of the dozen or so where they get the information from, so it’s hard to say what led to the drop, albeit as small as it was.”
She added: “I think it’s a warning to us as people and our government not to rest on our laurels with regard to our accountability and transparency.
“While there have been some strides, various pieces of legislation have stalled.
“I want to make a strong call to government to push forward with the Freedom of Information Act. It has already been passed. Let’s move forward and put the Freedom of Information Commission in place. That would be a huge step.”
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