By Celestine Chacon
February 15, 2025
President Irfaan Ali has strongly condemned the latest Transparency International (TI) report on corruption perceptions in Guyana, alleging that the findings are biased and fail to reflect the country’s progress in transparency and governance.
The head of state questioned how the report could rank Guyana’s transparency and law enforcement efforts as “very low” despite significant improvements. He pointed to past governance issues under the previous APNU+AFC administration, including spending over $600 billion without parliamentary oversight, disregarding a no-confidence motion, and delaying elections.
During a press conference, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton expressed support for the TI report. However, President Ali dismissed the opposition’s stance, stating that it was an attempt to shape public perception ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
The president also criticized previous governance decisions, such as the handling of the US$18 million ExxonMobil signing bonus, which was initially undisclosed to the public. He argued that the TI report does not account for the government’s corrective measures and instead reflects a skewed perception designed for a specific agenda.
Highlighting international recognition, President Ali noted that in 2024, Guyana received the Champion of Transparency Award from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change—becoming the first developing country and the second globally to achieve the required climate transparency reporting standards. Additionally, institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have acknowledged Guyana’s advancements in transparency and anti-corruption efforts.