The National Anti-Corruption Network (REN-LAC) released its 2021 report on the state of corruption in Burkina Faso on Tuesday 6 December in Ouagadougou. According to the document, corruption in the Land of the Upright is still very common. At the top of the list is the trio of municipal police, customs and national police.
The report takes into account a sample of 3,000 people interviewed in the thirteen regions of the country. According to the results, “85.23% of respondents believe that the phenomenon is frequent” in Burkina Faso, which is experiencing an acute security crisis.
“In the current context of security crisis in Burkina Faso, corruption also appears to be a breeding ground for terrorism. This is why it is urgent to take vigorous measures without complacency to fight it, before it is too late,” said REN-LAC executive secretary Sagado Nacanabo.
Police and customs officers are the main actors
In addition, it should be noted that the REN-LAC report was established according to the Composite Index of Corruption Measurement in Public Administration (ICMC-AP). More specifically, it aimed to measure the degree of corruption in a given public service through two main dimensions: perception and experiences of corruption. Analysis shows that the perception index has risen steadily since 2016, from 41 points in 2016 to 71 points in 2021, an increase of 30 points.
According to the REN-LAC survey, the public services most concerned are the national police, customs and municipal police. This is followed by Post-Primary Education, the Directorate General of Land and Maritime Transport, Health and the National Gendarmerie. The eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth places are occupied respectively by Taxes and Domain; the territorial collectivity; the General Administration; the Motor Vehicle Control Centre (CCVA) and Justice, according to information published by the Burkinabe news site Wakatsera.
To participate effectively in combating this phenomenon, REN-LAC has decided to place this year’s National Anti-Corruption Days (JNRC) under the theme: “Corruption and terrorism in Burkina Faso: what prospects?