The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2021 released today by Transparency International has revealed that the Maldives has fallen lower.

A statement issued today by Transparency Maldives said that the Maldives has fallen three points in score and ten positions in country ranking on the index and continues to be among the two-thirds of countries to score below 50.

In the CPI 2020, Maldives scored 43 and ranked 75 in country position. The Maldives’ 2021 score was drawn from the composite assessment of three international sources: Global Insight Country Risk Ratings, Varieties of Democracy Project, and World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA). The data for Global Insight Country Risk Ratings and Varieties of Democracy Project were collected in the period January 2020 to January 2021 while the data for World Bank CPIA remained as data collected in the period from January 2019 to January 2020.

The statement from Maldives Transparency said that while there has been some progress in strengthening the regulatory system, the data shows that Maldives is still failing behind when it comes to effectively implementing and enforcing the laws to tackle corruption.

"Maldives has seen weak investigation, prosecution, enforcement, and implementation of laws resulting in increased lack of accountability of political and public officials. Additionally, CPI scores in the middle of the index indicates more complex challenges such as grand corruption which includes the abuse of high-level power that benefits the few at the expense of the many. In such cases mere technical interventions, useful in addressing petty corruption, are not enough." The statement said.

As the country has gone down on the CPI, the nation's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) currently remains vacant after all the members resigned following a parliament decision to remove them.

The President's Office has opened applications for ACC membership and the application period expires on 30 January 2022.