Jamaica, and particularly its government, hasn't had too much good news recently. So, the island's improvement on Transparency International's (TI) Corruption Perception Index will be welcomed.

Jamaica, on the index released this week, is ranked as the world's 87th least corrupt country, a dozen places better than we were a year ago.

What is equally important is that Jamaica's latest ranking reverses a slide of the last three years, essentially, the life of the current administration, with which Prime Minister Bruce Golding could not have been pleased.

Moreover, the worsening negative perception of Jamaica, relative to other countries, did not relate only to TI's measure of corruption, which primarily reflects attitudes to the public sector.

Jamaica had slipped down, as Professor Trevor Munroe of the National Integrity Action Forum pointed out, on other global indices, including the Human Development Index, the Environmental Performance Index, and the Ease of Doing Business Index. We also slipped on the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index.

Sustained economic growth

All of these are interrelated. It is to misapprehend the dynamics of economics and social order to believe, for instance, that less borrowing, a smaller fiscal deficit and lower inflation are the only requisites for strong and sustained economic growth.

Their effect is undermined by an absence of moral and ethical context to governance and the conduct of business. Public corruption, including the demand of graft by bureaucrats to complete their jobs, exacts an economic cost beyond the payments that are eventually amortised by consumers.

Corruption breeds and sustains inefficiency, which deters investment and job creation. It also enervates the society and its capacity to build consensus on social order.

Jamaica's improvement in the TI ranking suggests that people are beginning to see shifts in attitudes and behaviour towards corruption, as well as a sense that those in authority are beginning to address the problems with more than talk.

In this regard, we believe that Prime Minister Golding's eventual retreat from what appeared to be a wilful attempt to frustrate America's attempt to extradite his constituent and reputed drug lord, Christopher Coke, contributed to this changing perception. The Government was forced to act because of a growing public intolerance of corruption.

Crusading activism

This deepening aversion to public misbehaviour has been contributed to, in no small measure, by the energy and almost crusading activism brought to the Office of the Contractor General under Greg Christie. Few now want to be fingered for breaking the Government's procurement guidelines.

As Professor Munroe pointed out, too, other agencies of the State, including the police, the Financial Investigations Division and the Revenue Protection, are increasingly willing to go after corrupt officials, including those in their own organisations.

While we might not frown on a tipple to mark Jamaica's move up the TI index, we warn against any striking up of bands and overzealous celebration. This is only a start.

The fact is that more than half of Jamaicans identify corruption as the primary problem facing the country. At the same time, 28 per cent highlighted a general problem of dishonesty. There is a correlation between these numbers and the 40 per cent whose main concern is the breakdown of law and order.

There is still much, and hard work to be done against the monster of corruption. The Government and civil society must commit themselves to the effort.

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