The National Integrity Action (NIA) says Jamaican leaders are not doing enough in the fight against corruption, which he attributes to the island’s failure to progress in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index for last year.

Speaking at a virtual press conference Tuesday morning, Professor Trevor Munroe, Executive Director of NIA, the local corruption watchdog, said Jamaica made some gains in corruption last year but these were outdone by inaction in other areas.

This has seen Jamaica’s score remain at 44 on the Corruption Perceptions Index for last year, the same as it was for 2020, although falling one place in the ranking with 69 of the 180 countries that were ranked now being ahead, against the 68 the previous year.

According to Munroe, among the shortfalls were impunity to lawbreakers in high places and officers in public bodies; unacceptable delay in the fulfilment of and anti-corruption and anticrime agreement; unexplained wealth orders; enhanced security act for the security forces to better deal with criminals; and the resistant to greater transparency, in particular the gag order.

He said the three main gains were that the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) became independent; regulations passed in the House of Parliament regarding the Public Management Accountability Act; and steps were made for greater accountability for public boards and officers, who were found to be in breach of the law.

“Jamaica’s score and rank on the Corruption Perceptions Index 2021, reflects hard-won gains, it reflects positives as well as achievements, but on the other hand, deeply disappointing deficits in the combat of corruption.

“The positives include many issues called for by NIA in last year’s review of the 2020 Perception Index. Gains that we struggle for along with others during the course of the year,” Munroe said.

According to Munroe, with Jamaica losing approximately $100 billion each day because of corruption, the effort needs to be intensified to stamp out the practice although extensive work is being done by journalists, the Auditor General, MOCA, Members of Parliament on both sides of the political divide and civil society.

“Efforts were good, but nevertheless, not strong enough to deal with serious deficits, which remain in the good governance architecture. These efforts were not enough to overcome in 2021, several critical shortfalls in the system,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to Munroe, more Jamaicans are coming forward to report alleged cases of corruption. He said this is driven by more people seeing the long-term benefits of reducing corruption.