Maldives shows no improvement in corruption index last year
Statistics show that politicians and public servants are not held accountable due to poor investigation.
By
Mariyam Umna Ismail
Last year in 2022, the country failed to make headway in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking, which is released annually to assess the level of corruption in the world.
The index:
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Evaluates 180 countries globally
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Classifies the level of corruption in the governance of states on surveys and expert findings
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Predicts corruption status in countries on an international scale
Transparency International released last year's Corruption Index on Tuesday, and the Maldives is at the same level as it was in 2021. Thus:
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In 2021 too, the country was ranked 85th in the rankings; in 2022 it didn't change
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Maldives scored 40 points out of 100
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The Maldives is still among the two-thirds of countries to fall below 50 points
Transparency Maldives said in a statement that the Maldives has not made progress in the implementation of anti-corruption laws:
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Statistics show that politicians and public servants are not held accountable due to poor investigation, prosecution and enforcement of laws in the country like in previous years
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It is also clear that some of the major obstacles to eradicating corruption in the Maldives include large-scale corruption and fraud cases and undue favours by some people in high positions in the government that harms the public
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What can be done to find a temporary solution to petty corruption is not enough
In addition, the statement also expressed concern about the upcoming presidential elections in September.
"As we prepare for the presidential elections, Transparency Maldives expresses deep concern over the corrupt practices that undermine people's confidence in the country's accountability systems and the justice system," the statement said.
Since the fight against corruption needs to be carried out in a timely, non-partisan manner, the perpetrators of the act should stop being protected and such allegations should be investigated and brought to justice instead of giving more promotions and powers to corrupt politicians, it said.
Here's what transparency has proposed to the government in order to reduce the level of corruption and restore people's confidence in politics:
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Ensure that the obligations under the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) are fulfilled
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To prevent and investigate corruption and disclose information about existing systems and the progress made by them on their own initiative
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To hold politicians and government employees accountable, Transparency Maldives passed an asset declaration bill drafted by Transparency Maldives in accordance with international norms and developed a complete system of disclosure of financial statements to prevent undue wealth, misuse of public resources and vote buying
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Ensure access to critical information to increase people's full participation in government decisions
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Publishing up-to-date information on how peoples’ money and resources are spent and used in a convenient manner
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Enhance the capacity and resources required to investigate cases and send chargesheets in the state institutions in a reasonable time
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Ensure that anti-corruption state institutions have adequate budgets and resources and are free from interference and are free to discharge their duties
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Fully implement laws to protect democracy and protect the civil environment; thus to ensure that human trafficking and whistleblowers are implemented, and human rights abusers, including the government, can be held accountable.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has previously stated that the current government is adopting zero tolerance for corruption even though the Maldives has not progressed in the corruption index. However, several senior officials in his government have also been accused of corruption and the government has been criticised for not taking appropriate action in the case.
The government has also come under fire from some quarters for allegedly misappropriating state resources during the party's presidential primaries campaign on Saturday, and for announcing big-ticket projects and announcing jobs in the run-up to the polls.
