Minister Teixeira Addresses Misconceptions Regarding 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index

Gail Teixeira, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, has released an extensive statement clarifying misunderstandings related to the recently published 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International. The Minister underscored the importance of grasping the context, methodology, and limitations inherent in the CPI, which gauges perceived corruption rather than actual corruption levels.

Understanding the CPI Context

Minister Teixeira explained that the CPI is fundamentally a perception-based index, aggregating insights from 13 sources provided by 12 institutions. Among these is the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, which admits that its ratings are based on staff judgments and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors. In the context of Guyana, five sources were utilized between 2022 and 2024, resulting in scores ranging from 38 to 44.

Key Clarifications on CPI

1. Perceptions vs. Reality: The Minister pointed out that the CPI reflects public sector corruption perceptions, shaped by subjective factors like media narratives and political perspectives. It does not quantify documented corruption incidents.

2. Methodological Limitations: The CPI employs various data sources with differing frameworks, standardizing them to a 0-100 scale. This process introduces variability, and a one-point change in CPI score should be interpreted with caution, as it falls within the standard margin of error.

3. Ethical Considerations: Teixeira raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest in Transparency International’s funding, noting that 14 countries that back the organization frequently achieve high scores, while nations in the Global South generally fare poorly.

4. Guyana’s Progress: The Minister emphasized that, despite subjective narratives, Guyana has been recognized as a “Significant Improver” over the past decade, highlighting advancements in governance and anti-corruption frameworks, such as improved public sector transparency and the establishment of oversight bodies like the Public Procurement Commission.

5. Regional Context: Teixeira noted that Guyana’s CPI score compares favorably against several regional peers and that evaluating it against historically high-ranking jurisdictions can overlook the broader developmental context.

Anti-Corruption Initiatives

Since taking office in 2020, the Government of Guyana has enacted a series of robust anti-corruption measures, which include:

– Legislative reforms to enhance oversight and accountability.
– The re-establishment and strengthening of critical oversight institutions like the Integrity Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman.
– Increased funding for statutory and parliamentary oversight bodies.
– Ongoing anti-corruption training for both public and private sectors.
– The publication of Guyana’s Anti-Corruption Framework and annual expos on human rights and anti-corruption since 2022.
– International collaboration through engagements with IMF consultations and adherence to anti-money laundering conventions.

Teixeira clarified that such claims were not included among the sources referenced by Transparency International for the CPI. She urged for responsible reporting and interpretation of the index.

Teixeira also noted that challenges with corruption perception indices are not unique to Guyana, referencing comments from Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley regarding biases against developing nations. She stressed that while corruption is a global issue, indices like the CPI should be approached with caution and complemented by evidence-based evaluations.

The Government of Guyana remains dedicated to advancing anti-corruption measures, enhancing transparency, and fostering collaboration with international partners, civil society, and media, promoting the responsible use of global indices. Teixeira reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to sustainable, long-term progress in anti-corruption efforts, positioning Guyana as a notable leader in governance and public sector integrity.