Corruption Plagues Jamaica: Country Shows Little Improvement in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index

Jamaica has failed to make significant progress in combating financial corruption, according to Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2020. The island nation scored a paltry 44 out of 100, a mere one-point increase from its previous score of 43. This lackluster performance leaves Jamaica ranked 69th out of 180 countries on the index, up just five places from its 74th position in 2019.

Caribbean Corruption Rankings

Despite this marginal improvement, Jamaica remains the fifth most corrupt state in the Caribbean, trailing behind only:

Guyana
Trinidad and Tobago
Dominican Republic
Haiti

In stark contrast, Barbados emerged as the least corrupt country in the region with a score of 64 out of 100 and a ranking of 29th globally.

Efforts to Combat Corruption

To combat corruption, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck announced that over $1 billion has been invested in the Integrity Commission since its establishment three years ago. The government plans to continue investing similar sums annually in the anti-corruption watchdog. Chuck emphasized that the commission is expected to take action to significantly reduce incidents of:

Corruption
Indiscipline
Disorder

in the public sector.

Public’s Role in Fighting Corruption

The minister called on members of the public service to report any instances of:

Corruption
Inefficiency
Indiscipline

to the Integrity Commission, urging citizens to play a crucial role in the fight against financial corruption.

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