Corruption Perceptions Index 2020 - Executive Summary

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 06:01 CET, 28 JANUARY 2020 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA With an average score of 32, Sub-Saharan Africa is the lowest performing region on the CPI, showing little improvement from previous years and underscoring a need for urgent action. 49 32 /100 COUNTRIES ASSESSED AVERAGE REGIONAL SCORE TOP SCORERS BOTTOM SCORERS SOUTH SUDAN BOTSWANA SUDAN SEYCHELLES 66 /100 60 /100 58 /100 16 /100 12 /100 12 /100 SOMALIA CABO VERDE With a score of 66, the Seychelles consistently earns top marks in the region, followed by Botswana (60) and Cabo Verde (58). At the bottom of the index are Sudan (16), Somalia (12) and South Sudan (12). Across the region, the COVID-19 pandemic highlights structural gaps 82 in national health care systems, corruption risks associated with public procurement 83 and the misappropriation of emergency funds. 84 The economic shock of the pandemic led to protests and dissent in many countries, including South Africa (44), 85 Angola 86 (27) and Zimbabwe 87 (24), about rising costs of living, corruption and the widespread misuse of emergency funds. In South Africa, an audit of COVID-19 expenditures revealed overpricing, fraud and corruption. 88 In Nigeria (25), civil society organisations denounced reports of hoarding of COVID-19 palliatives 89 by states and called on anti-corruption institutions to investigate the allegations. Scoring 36 on the CPI, Côte d’Ivoire has significantly improved, by nine points since 2013. However, the political crisis surrounding the re-election of President Allasane Ouattara, which erupted into violence 90 and human rights violations, 91 risks derailing progress. With a score of 19, the Republic of Congo significantly declined by seven points since 2012. This performance is reflective of endemic corruption and impunity by the country’s political elite. 92 The Republic of Congo has an anti-corruption framework in place, but its implementation remains weak. 93 To reverse the region’s position as the worst performing on the CPI, governments in Sub-Saharan Africa must take decisive action, particularly in those economies already weakened by the ongoing economic recession stemming from COVID-19. TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL 20