A new Global Corruption Barometer report on corruption in Ghana has revealed that 60% of Ghanaians surveyed said the government is doing a good job with the fight against corruption.
On the other hand, 30% of Ghanaians said government is doing a bad job in the fight against corruption while 10% could not tell whether government is doing well or not.
The survey, conducted by Transparency International and Ghana Integrity Initiative,revealed that 60% of Ghanaians also said ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption.
The focus area of the survey included bribery rates, changes in the levels of corruption, participation of ordinary people in the fight against corruption, corruption by institutions, and whether government is doing good or bad job of fighting corruption.
55%perceived corruption to be on the rise between 2016 and 2018
Some of the key findings in the report revealed that 55% of the citizens perceived corruption to be on the rise between 2016 and 2018.
23%indicated corruption was on the decline
Only 23% of the surveyed respondents indicated corruption was on the decline.
Men are likely to pay bribe than women
The report also stated that men are likely to pay bribe than women.
Poor people likely to pay bribe than the rich
In addition, the survey found that the poorest people are twice as likely to pay bribe compared to the richest.
Persons 18-34 years more likely to pay bribes than people aged 55
According to the report, young people aged 18-34 are more likely to pay bribes than people aged 55 and over.
Two-thirds of citizens fear retaliation if they report corruption
In addition, the key findings also revealed that two-thirds of citizens’ fear retaliation if they report corruption.Therefore laws, including the Whistleblower’s Act, 2006, Act 720, and the Witness Protection Act, 2018, Act 974, should be enforced to shield and reward citizens who report on corrupt practices.
Resourcing key anti-corruption institutions
The report recommended that the state must intensify its efforts towards the fight against corruption by adequately resourcing the key anti-corruption institutions to discharge their mandate, where there must be a monitoring framework in place and enforced to ensure that these institutions live up to expectation.
Special Prosecutor should fast track investigations and prosecutions
It added that the Office of the Special Prosecutor should fast track investigations and prosecutions of the many corruption cases pending and also make the public aware, per section 3(3) of the act establishing the office, as the level of confidence of the citizenry in the office is gradually waning.
“All state institutions, particularly those with oversight responsibility and power to enforce compliance, should put in place measures to promote efficient service delivery at the approved charges, in order to address the persistent issues of bribery within the public sector,
“Also, the e-procurement, launched by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), must lead to a drastic reduction in cases of corruption in procurement procedures, ensure that value for money is obtained in all public procurement, and save the nation valuable resources needed for development,” it stated.
The report also recommended to the state to increase efforts towards educating citizens on the Whistleblower’s Act 2006 (Act 720) and the recently passed Witness Protection Law, to encourage the culture of corruption reporting in Ghana.
The Ghana Integrity Initiative commended government and state institutions for the efforts and strides made in the fight against corruption.
“We equally encourage all to continue to practicalise the implementation of the NACAP-promoting efficiency and effectiveness in the public sector and other frameworks, including the implementation of the Right to Information Law, to promote transparency and accountability of governance while increasing citizens’ trust,” Mary Awelana Addah, Programmes Manager for GII, noted.
Source: The Finder
