Libyan Al-Anbaa newspaper: On International Anti-Corruption Day - What do the reports and figures say about Libya?

Tripoli, December 10, 2023 (LANA) - On December 9 of each year, the countries of the world commemorate the International Anti-Corruption Day, which includes reviewing the reports of international organizations concerned with the phenomenon of corruption and their recommendations to governments and bodies around the world on the necessity of combating corruption and working to establish good governance.

The United Nations said on its official website that the celebration of International Anti-Corruption Day 2023 will highlight the close link between the fight against corruption, peace, security and development.

The organization stressed that the essence of the link between (fighting corruption, peace, security and development) is that confronting this crime is everyone’s right and responsibility, and that cooperation and participation are what enable people and institutions to overcome the negative impact of this crime. There is a role for states, government officials, civil servants, law enforcement officials and representatives The media, the private sector, civil society, academia, the general public and youth in particular in uniting the world against corruption.

According to the Libyan newspaper Al-Anbaa, in Libya, local and international figures still indicate that there are widespread incidents of corruption, and there is a need for a real confrontation of this phenomenon.

According to the report issued by Transparency International, Libya ranked 172nd out of 180 countries according to 2021 statistics, and is thus among the nine most corrupt countries in the world.

In 2022, Libya advanced one point in the index, ranking 171st globally, and scored only 17 on the scale, which means that it suffers from widespread and significant corruption.

The international index is based on a 100-point evaluation, where the zero point represents the most corrupt countries, while the 100 point represents the most honest countries in the world. It also depends on factors to evaluate the performance of countries’ institutions, among them are “work, political money, indicators of democracy, and freedom of expression.”

According to the international organization, the reason for the spread of corruption in Libya is due to problems related to security and the political conflict that has occurred in the country for years, which has deepened the extent of corruption and created very fragile political and security conditions.

The report confirmed that the Libyan state has become unable to confront corruption comprehensively, which allows the degree of inequality to worsen and corruption to become widespread and empowered in the country.

The organization indicated in its report that the continued lack of stability in the country prevented it from holding elections, and did not leave it with a clear path to move forward towards building the state.

International reports were not the only ones that talked about corruption in Libya, as local reports estimated the extent of corruption in the country at about 200 billion dollars, and reports from the Administrative Control Authority, the Audit Bureau and the judicial authorities in the country indicate the presence of significant corruption within the sectors of the Libyan state, which is what It was translated into the decisions of the Attorney General, according to which dozens of state officials were referred to the courts on charges related to corruption.

(LANA)