COMMISSIONERS of the Integrity Commission (IC) say the executive’s failure to close gaps in the governance framework weakens the pursuit of corruption cases involving organised crime, and fosters impunity of high-level corrupt elites.

The IC commissioners’ statement Tuesday was in response to Jamaica’s low rating on Transparency International’s (TI’s) 2023 Corruption Perception Index, which saw the country ranked 69 of 180 surveyed in 2023, the same as the previous year. One is the least corrupt and 180 the most corrupt.

Nine English-speaking Caribbean countries were ranked by TI in 2023, with Barbados, The Bahamas and St Vincent coming out on top, and Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana at the bottom – the same order as they were in 2022 and 2021.

Barbados’ country ranking improved from 29 in 2022 to 24 in 2023, and now has the distinction of being ranked the least corrupt of nine English-speaking Caribbean countries for four consecutive years – 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Jamaica’s 2022/2023 CPI score of 44/100 continues to stand as its best score, ever. It was previously attained in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.

In the 22 years that TI has been ranking Jamaica, the country has averaged a CPI score of only 38 of 100. Prior to its 2017 CPI score of 44/100, Jamaica had never scored higher than 41 – its CPI score in 2015. Jamaica’s lowest CPI score ever was 30, recorded in 2009.

Jamaica’s CPI jump in TI’s 2017 rankings came in the same year that Parliament passed a long-awaited anti-corruption law – the Integrity Commission Act. The Act merged the country’s then three leading anti-corruption commissions into a single entity – the Integrity Commission.

In referencing Jamaica in its 2023 CPI report, TI said: “Collusion among the powerful, as well as the overwhelming dominance of the executive over the legislature weakens the Parliament’s oversight capacities, creating conditions ripe for abuse and corruption.”

Topping TI’s 2023 CPI country rankings are Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg. The list is identical to 2022, except for Luxembourg’s placement.

Denmark, Finland and New Zealand, the top three performers, had CPI scores of 90, 87 and 85, respectively.

At the other end of the scale, in TI’s 2023 CPI country rankings, are Somalia, Venezuela, Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, North Korea, Nicaragua, Haiti, Equatorial Guinea, and Turkmenistan, in that order.

TI said its 2023 CPI shows corruption is thriving across the world. “Over two-thirds of countries score below 50 out of 100, which strongly indicates that they have serious corruption problems. The global average is stuck at only 43.”

TI added that “both authoritarian and democratic leaders are undermining justice. This is increasing impunity for corruption, and even encouraging it by eliminating consequences for criminals.”

Commenting on the 2023 CPI, TI’s Chairman François Valérian, said “corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check. When justice is bought, or politically interfered with, it is the people that suffer”.

Turning to the Americas, TI said that “with two-thirds of the countries in the region having a score under 50 out of 100 on the CPI, the Americas shows considerable challenges in the fight against corruption”.