Georgia in TI’s 2022 Corruption Perception Index

Georgia’s standing in the Transparency International’s 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) improved slightly by one point (it is noteworthy that change by one point is considered statistically insignificant by the methodology of the CPI). Even though the country leads in Eastern Europe and Central Asia with 56 points, “this is due to previous gains in eliminating low-level bribery; the country has stagnated on the CPI since 2012,” the watchdog said. Moreover, as opposed to some countries of the region, such as Armenia or Moldova, which have experienced significant improvement since 2017, according to the index Georgia has not progressed in the fight against corruption in recent years.

In the 2022 CPI, Georgia is ranked 41th among 180 countries with a score of 56 (on a scale where 0 is the worst and 100 is the best result), sharing its place with Czechia, Italy and  Slovenia.

According to the 2022 CPI, the Georgian Dream government is “effectively killing any momentum to fight” corruption. The report says the GD government “has captured key state institutions, the judiciary and law enforcement, meaning abuses of power at the highest levels go largely unpunished.”

Uninvestigated cases of corruption lead to the conclusion that the “high-level corruption in Georgia is taking the form of kleptocracy, where officials systematically use political power to appropriate the country’s wealth and undermine all critical voices, including political opposition, media and civil society, “ TI added. 

The watchdog also noted that the governing GD’s plans of setting up an anti-corruption agency “falls short, as they don’t include investigative powers and sufficient independence.”

Meanwhile, In the 2021 CPI Georgia was ranked 45th among 180 countries with a score of 55, sharing its place with Botswana, Dominica, and Fiji. 

In the 2020 CPI, Georgia ranked 45th among 180 countries with a score of 56, while in 2019, the country was rated with 56 points and placed 44th.

In 2018 Georgia ranked 41st with a score of 58, its highest since 2012 when TI changed its methodology to produce more accurate analysis. In 2017 Georgia was placed 46th with a score of 56. It garnered 57 in 2016, 52 in 2015 and 2014, 49 in 2013, and 52 in 2012.

Reactions

Transparency International Georgia, the global watchdog’s local chapter reacted to the 2022 CPI, stating that Georgia’s score “has not improved significantly since 2012, which means that the country has not taken effective steps against corruption in the last 10 years.”

Fight with corruption is one of the 12 priorities put forward by the European Commission for Georgia to gain EU candidacy. TI Georgia believes that “fulfilling 12 priorities set by the European Commission for Georgia is the best way and opportunity to improve the situation and take real steps against corruption in the country.”

Mikheil Dundua, Deputy Minister of Finance of Georgia, positively assessed Georgia’s standing in the TI’s 2022 Corruption Percept Index, emphasizing that Georgia is the leader in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and is even ahead of nine EU and eleven NATO member states according to the index. “So, Georgia’s approach regarding the anticorruption policy is successful. The country is the leader [in fighting corruption] in the region and one of the noticeable [states] in Europe,” he added.

Notably, the average score for Eastern Europe and Central Asia is 35 – well below the global average of 43, making the region the second lowest performing one on the 2022 CPI.

CPI is a global corruption ranking, measuring how corrupt each country’s public sector is perceived to be, according to experts and businesspeople. Transparency International says that each country’s score is a combination of at least 3 data sources drawn from 13 different corruption surveys and assessments, while the data sources are collected by a variety of reputable institutions. 

Also Read:

• 05/01/2023 – Selection Commission for the Anti-Corruption Bureau Head Holds First Meeting
• 09/12/2022 – TI – Georgia Highlights Challenges in Fighting Corruption
• 02/12/2022 – TI Georgia Talks Shortcomings in Law on Anti-Corruption Bureau
• 01/12/2022 – Parliament Approves Changes for Creating Anti-Corruption Bureau

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