Guyana questions Transparency International’s methodology; APNU+AFC agrees with corruption score

Last Updated on Saturday, 15 February 2025, 12:51 by Writer

Days after Transparency International (TI) scored Guyana at 39 for public sector corruption, government questioned the methodology being used by that Germany-headquartered global anti-corruption watchdog to arrive at its conclusions.

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance said TI’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) uses multiple data sources, each with its own methodological framework.

The ministry said those sources are standardised to fit the CPI scale (0-100).

“However, aggregation processes of this nature inherently introduce variability and uncertainty in data. Guyana’s CPI score change of one-point falls within the standard margin of error, as outlined in the CPI Technical Methodology, and should not be willfully misinterpreted and opportunistically used as evidence of systemic deterioration by any means,” the Guyana government said in its statement.

At the same time, the Parliamentary and Governance Affairs Ministry noted that TI’s CPI report lists Guyana as a “significant improver” over the past 10 years, while a number of persons and the media have chosen to focus on subjective narratives. “This designation reflects the country’s steady progress in strengthening its governance and anti-corruption mechanisms.”

Government said the findings of TI’s CPI should be interpreted with caution and supplemented by independent, evidence-based assessments of states’ governance and anti-corruption performance to which Guyana has committed. The ministry said the Guyana Government remains committed to engaging with international partners, civil society, and the media to continue to advance anti-corruption efforts and ensure the responsible use of global indices like the CPI.

The government said that over the last five years only, Guyana has implemented key reforms, enhanced institutional oversight, and taken steps to foster greater inclusion, participation, transparency and accountability. “This recognition as a “significant improver” underscores the success of these initiatives and highlights the bigger picture of Guyana’s commitment to sustainable long-term anti-corruption progress,” the ministry added.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira did not deny that corruption is a problem but said her administration’s objection is about the use of non-empirical, non-scientific data as the standard by which such a serious issue is measured by Transparency International or any other organization. “The Government of Guyana continues to prioritise transparency, accountability, and good governance. Robust anti-corruption institutions, legal reforms, and training initiatives have been implemented to strengthen oversight and enforcement mechanisms,” she said.

Ethically, Ms Teixeira said the 14 countries whose governments contribute to the funding of TI all score about 60/90 and, coincidentally, the Global South whose governments do not fund TI do poorly. “One of the underlining principles of anti-corruption measures is the issue of conflict of interest. Is there not a conflict of the interest between TI and the governments which fund it?” she asked.

The CPI is a perception-based index that aggregates views from 13 sources provided by 12 institutions deemed appropriate by TI. It should be noted that one of the 12 institutions, the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment includes a disclaimer that “the ratings are the product of staff judgement and do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors or the governments they represent”.

She said the CPI measures perceptions of corruption, not documented incidents, relying on subjective assessments from undisclosed individuals in each country who TI refers to as experts and businesspeople. “One can agree that the perceptions of these individuals can be shaped by heightened public discourse, isolated incidents, personal and business biases, and sociological and political worldviews.,” she said.

Within the Caribbean, the governance minister said Guyana remains ahead of several regional peers and has consistently demonstrated progress over the past decade. Guyana, by ratifying the Inter-American Convention on Corruption and the UN Convention against Corruption and adopting the Lima Commitment and the UNGA Political Declaration against Corruption, has committed by treaty obligations to be reviewed by these bodies on progress made or not made.

She said comparing Guyana’s score with smaller, historically high-ranking jurisdictions like Barbados or The Bahamas overlooks the broader context of Guyana’s development trajectory. Guyana has made notable strides in strengthening its anti-corruption framework, including establishing and strengthening the capacity of key institutions, legislative reforms, and increased public sector transparency. Two features of Guyana’s anti-corruption measures, which do not exist in sister countries, are the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board’s website which publishes the minutes and awards of tenders and the appointment of the constitutional Public Procurement Commission.

The opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) on Friday said it agreed with the latest findings of TI that the PPP government is “captured by economic and political elites, which has led to rampant corruption and illicit enrichment. It is not by chance that almost every Guyanese describes the PPP as a government for friends, families and favorites.”

The opposition said the government has allowed National Procurement & Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and regional tender boards to repeatedly violate the procurement legislation, while doing nothing to strengthen the Public Procurement Commission.

APNU+AFC said the PPP has deliberately appointed a Commissioner of Information who has strangulated the Access to Information Act, which would have empowered Guyanese to scrutinize government actions and decisions. “It refuses to reveal important agreements and contracts, especially those in the oil and gas sector. It has blocked, ducked, or diluted opposition motions and questions that seek critical information or propose open discussion. It has reassigned top public officials who have been entangled in scandal and corruption, such as the former PS of the Ministry of Home Affairs, a PPP Party member. It has used delaying tactics to stymie the work of the Public Accounts Committee to ensure that the Auditor General reports from 2020 do not complete its agenda,” APNU+AFC said.