(Jamaica Gleaner) National Integrity Action (NIA) Principal Director Dr Gavin Myers wants the Government to urgently roll out critical anti-corruption legislative reforms such as the long-proposed unexplained wealth order (UWO) regime.
His call comes at a time when the country remains stuck in stagnation with a repeat score of 44 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI).
A score of 44 out of 100, where zero is ‘highly corrupt’ and 100 is ‘very clean’ means that Jamaica has failed to free itself from the perception of chronic levels of corruption in the public sector over the last eight years.
Noting that a score of 44 is a number Jamaicans know all too well, Myers said the country recorded similar scores for more than six years.
The NIA head said the UWO would give designated authorities the power to require public officials to account for wealth that is clearly disproportionate to their lawful income. This, he said, would help to strengthen deterrence and restore public trust.
In 2024, the Holness administration backtracked on previous commitments to introduce the UWO, citing constitutional concerns and existing laws that it says are “strong enough” to address individuals with suspicious sources of wealth.
An unexplained wealth order is a court directive that allows law enforcement to confiscate assets from individuals who cannot demonstrate that their wealth was obtained legally.
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