Muscat: The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index has shown significant improvement for Oman, which is now ranked 50th out of 180 countries and 4th in the Arab region. This marks a remarkable advancement of 20 positions from its previous ranking of 70th in 2023, with a score of 55, an increase from last year's 43, reflecting a 12-point rise.
This information comes from the annual Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International, based in Berlin.
The advancement underscores Oman’s dedication to implementing top-tier international standards for safeguarding public funds, enhancing their efficiency, and fostering integrity.
Dr. Hamyar Nasser Al Mahrouqi, spokesperson for the State Audit Institution (SAI), remarked on the index's release, stating: "Achieving 4th place in the Arab world is significant as it bolsters Oman’s reputation and confirms that the country offers a favorable environment for business and investment. The index serves as a credible global benchmark, as Transparency International employs a stringent methodology to evaluate the perceived corruption levels in the public sector across 180 nations."
He further noted that Oman’s progress is attributed to its focus on protecting public funds and promoting integrity, a commitment that the State Audit Institution, in partnership with relevant authorities, has been diligently pursuing.
Dr. Hamyar explained that this advancement is a result of the dedicated and collaborative efforts between SAI, the National Competitiveness Office, and other relevant authorities aimed at enhancing Oman’s standing in the index. SAI is actively engaged in various initiatives, including auditing and raising institutional and community awareness regarding public funds and offices through awareness programs aligned with the annual media plan, in support of Oman Vision 2040 and the National Integrity Enhancement Plan. He also mentioned that SAI continues to publish the Community Summary in both Arabic and English, which accompanies the annual report submitted to His Majesty the Sultan.
Dr. Hamyar highlighted the critical role of various entities in bolstering Oman’s position in the index, as well as the importance of societal compliance with different legislations. He stated, “This contributes to ongoing improvements in the index. Additionally, efforts are being made to increase the number of institutions evaluating Oman in this index and to engage with international organizations that have provided insights on Oman’s ranking, to better understand the underlying issues and clarify the government’s actions aimed at enhancing the working environment and addressing any violations or leniencies.”
Dr. Hamyar pointed out that Transparency International is a non-governmental organization focused on assessing corruption perceptions, with the goal of fostering a world free from corruption. The organization works to elevate anti-corruption initiatives on the global agenda and collaborates with governments, businesses, and civil society to develop and implement effective anti-corruption strategies. The Corruption Perceptions Index is among the most widely recognized reports for measuring perceived corruption levels.
Dr. Hamyar noted that the calculation of the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index utilized six international data sources. Transparency International compiles the data and scores from these institutions and positions them on the Corruption Perceptions Index scale. The organization adheres to a series of steps, which include identifying data sources that fulfill specific criteria, standardizing the data and scores from these sources on a scale ranging from 0 to 100. A score of 0 reflects the highest perceived level of corruption, whereas a score of 100 signifies the lowest. The final score for each country is determined by averaging the points obtained on the index, based on the standardized data provided by the various sources.
