The Maldives has fallen 1 point in the Corruption Perception Index CPI 2023 released by Transparency International today.
The country received a CPI score of 39 last year compared to 40 scored in 2022.
The CPI annually scores and ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived level of public sector corruption, drawing on surveys and expert assessments. The index uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.
The Maldives is ranked 93 out of 180 countries in 2023.
Transparency Maldives said that the CPI ranks countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys, and uses different sources to determine the score.
It said that the Maldives’ 2023 score was drawn from the composite assessment of three international sources: Global Insight Country Risk Ratings, Varieties of Democracy Project, and World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA).
Transparency Maldives said that as the theme for CPI 2023 explains, the global trend of weakening justice systems is reducing accountability for public officials, and allowing corruption to thrive.
It said that to end impunity for corruption, governments must give justice systems the independence, resources, and transparency needed to effectively punish all corruption offenses and provide checks and balances on power.
It added that where necessary, they must also introduce better procedures and laws to help justice institutions shield themselves from and target corrupt acts.
