Have a read of this article in todays Newsday, accountability is any sphere of life is key. TT corruption score unchanged By MIRANDA LA ROSE Thursday, December 4 2014 TRINIDAD and Tobago’s score on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index has remained at last year’s score of 38 out of 100, and has dropped by two digits to 85 out of 175 countries rated on the CPI. Last year TT was ranked at 83 along with Jamaica and both countries now share the 85 position with the same score. TT Transparency Institute Chairman, Deryck Murray, yesterday expressed disappointment at the ranking noting that the absence of a number of pieces of legislation along implementation, monitoring, compliance and sanctions would have contributed to TT not moving forward. Murray yesterday addressed the media on the release of the ranking at TTTI Office at Fernandes Complex on Eastern Main Road, Laventille. The top ten countries on the CPI are Norway with 91 points. The others in order of ranking are New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Singapore, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Canada. In the Caribbean, Barbados is ranked the highest at 17, down from 15 last year, with a score of 74, St Lucia is ranked at 23 with a score of 71 and the Bahamas is ranked at 24 also with a score of 71 (same as last year). St Vincent and the Grenadines moved forward to 29 from 33 last year with an improved score of 67, and Dominica also moved forward to 39 from 41 last year maintaining its 58 points from last year. Guyana slumped from 84 to 124 ,and has a score of 30. “I want to see Trinidad and Tobago as one of those countries with a score above 50. When you have countries like Barbados, the Bahamas and St Vincent above us, that is not good for us. We must be number one in the Caribbean,” Murray said. Apart from legislation, Murray said the lack of observable action against those who would have taken part in questionable actions would have also had an impact on the ranking. He believes that if procurement legislation had been enacted during the year under review, it would have impacted on the ranking. If and when legislation pertaining to procurement, campaign financing, whistle-blowing are enacted, Murray said, he was positive that TT’s ranking will improve. There was also need to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act, and to put in place declarations of ownership and interest of companies. He does not believe that Government has been moving quickly to expedite the legislation needed. TTTI, he noted, has been working with a number of civil society groups over the past 14 years in advocating for the very legislation required to improve TT’s standing on the CPI.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 13:23:14 +0000
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