The Control of Corruption category of the Millennium Challenge Corporation criteria for 2017 has risen to 53% from 37% in 2016. The Anti-Corruption Commission made this announcement at a press briefing in Freetown on November 10, 2016.
In his statement, the Deputy Commissioner of the ACC, Shollay Davies said, “In the past years, there have been negative reports about the country relating to corruption especially bribery. Those international indices determine the level of support the country receives including the MCC.”
The Commissioner explained that a country is eligible for a compact, which is a description of an aid given to countries that perform on three categories. Those categories according to him were: ruling justly, investing in people and economic freedom. “Out of these three there are seventeen indicators that countries should pass in these categories”.
In 2016, the Rule of Law category was rated at 58%. That score dropped to 42% in the 2017 report. In 2016, the Government Effectiveness was rated at 33%. In this current 2017 report, the category dropped to 30%.
The MCC is a US foreign aid agency that is helping countries fight widespread poverty through economic growth. To be selected, a country must pass a minimum of ten out of twenty governance related indicators including those of “political rights” and “control of corruption”.
These indicators cover three broad areas: Economic Freedoms, Investing in People and Ruling Justly. In 2012, Sierra Leone passed twelve out of twenty indicators including those of corruption and political rights and therefore qualified to develop a compact. MCC and the Government of Sierra Leone are partnering to implement a $44.4 million threshold program to improve access to clean water and reliable electricity, and to support reforms designed to limit opportunities for corruption.
In 2013, the Millennium Challenge Coordinating Unit (MCCU) was thus set up under the Office of the Chief of Staff. The unit has a core mandate of taking the lead in the compact development process for possible funding from the MCC.
Commissioner Davies added, “If the country scored poorly but made positive upward trend on the selection criteria it can be eligible for a smaller grant. Out of five indicators, Sierra Leone scored four including the corruption component.”
The Commissioner furthered that despite that progress “we could not get the compact because we dropped slightly in economic freedom and investing in people”.
For more information about the MCC and the Sierra Leone scorecard, see https://www.mcc.gov/who-we-fund/scorecard/fy-2017/SL.
By Edna Smalle
Friday November 11, 2016