Accra, Feb 01, GNA – Mr Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, a Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, has reiterated government’s commitment to pursue all corruption-related matters and eradicate same despite the country’s poor performance on the 2021 Corruption Perception Index (CPI).
The 2021 CPI released by the Transparency International on January 25, revealed that Ghana failed to make progress in the fight against corruption.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the theme: “Rethinking Ghana’s Anti-Corruption Strategies: A Decade’s Trend Analysis of the Corruption Perception Index,” in Accra, the Deputy Attorney General said government was doing its best to make corruption an unattractive venture for the beneficiaries.
He noted that since the New Patriotic Party came to power in 2017, it had put in place various measures to reduce the level of corruption in the country.
The measures included the passage of the Right to Information Act, the Witness Protection Act 2018 and the criminal offences amendment act 2020, (Act 1034), which amended section 239 of the criminal offence act.
He added that government in intensifying the reforms had also passed other legislations such as the revenue administration amendments act, (Act 1029), anti-money laundery act, (Act 1034) and corporate restruction and insolvency act, (Act 1015).
The digitisation of the passport office, ports and harbour, Registrar General’s Department, among others, to reduce human interface, which breed corruption, were all manifestations of the government’s commitment to the corruption fight, he added.
“Also, as part of the steps to enhance transparency, efficiency and accountability, our public sector organisations have initiated and sustained the automation of key processes as part of good governance ideals. A digitised environment ultimately helps eliminate and prevent corruption in various institutions and agencies,” Mr Tuah-Yeboah noted.
The purpose of the discussion was to collectively rethink the country’s anti-corruption strategies and propose pragmatic recommendations for the attention of all stakeholders particularly, government and state accountability institutions.
At least two ex-Ministers under the erstwhile John Mahama administration, including Alhaji Collins Dauda, a former Water Resources, Works, and Housing Minister, are in court facing different corruption charges and other related offences.
Mr Tuah-Yeboah disclosed that government in the coming weeks would inaugurate the governing board of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to make it functional.
The OSP has been without a board since Mr Kissi Adjabeng took office in August 2021, and this, anti-corruption advocates believe was hindering the office in properly carrying out its mandate.
Mr Tuah-Yeboah said the Ministry was waiting on the Council of State for the release of the names of the members after, which the board would be inaugurated.
Mrs Linda Ofori-Kwafo, Executive Director of the GII, said the country’s performance in the 2021 CPI gave anti-corruption organisations a cause to worry, adding that there remained much work to be done to reduce the canker and its devastating impact.
She called for a new strategy to fight the menace by making citizens aware of the negative effect corruption had on development of the country.
Research shows that, Ghana loses more than $1 billion through illicit financial flows, including money transfer pricing, undervaluing of imports and over valuing of exports, among others.
“If Ghana could stop all these wastes, it would not have been necessary to have gone to IMF for $955.2 million bailout and even be discussing E-levy,” Mrs Ofori-Kwafo explained.
Ms Josephine Nkrumah, Chairperson, National Commission for Civic Education, on her part, warned of dire consequences should the country fail to address corruption at all levels of society.
GNA