Corruption - Ghana Not Doing Too Badly - Senior Minister

Mr. J.H. Mensah, Senior Minister has said Ghana has moved up few notches on Transparency International Corruption Index since the NPP came into power.

He said, "The country is now into the top half of the league table, at number fifty (50) out of one hundred and two (102) countries covered in 2002. He was quick to add "but that is not where we should be if Ghana is to become a respected and profitable player in the global economy: we need to be in the top 25 and to distinguish ourselves in Africa as a safe and dependable partner in international trade and investment".

He was speaking at the launch of a survey report entitled "The hidden cost: an economic crime survey in Ghana" which was carried out by PriceWaterHouseCoopers.

He said the NPP government had established "Zero Tolerance for Corruption" as one of its cardinal principles for the conduct of official business. He explained that "Zero Tolerance" is not just another catchphrase in the arena of party politics. "Zero tolerance is not measured by this or that single action, or by the establishment of this or that institution" but it is a whole culture and way of doing things.

He expressed appreciation for all that's being done by civil society organisations and other stakeholders to ensure that the government keeps to its stated policy of "Zero Tolerance for Corruption."

Mr. Mensah said by " zero tolerance, the NPP government has demonstrated leadership in every area strengthening the institutional capacity of government to fight corruption and fraud; reindoctrinating the public and civil servant to eschew all forms of bribery; by conducting government business in an open and transparent manner and by not interfering in the activities of any of the potential custodians of public morality such as the Serious Fraud Office, the Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice."

He said with the help of the World Bank, the country would establish Fast Track Courts in all the regions to dispose of cases quickly and added that the government had also instituted management and forensic audits into various stage agencies.

He said that the NPP's "Golden Age of Business" policy is not a political mirage as perceived by some cynics. "Rome was not built in a day," he added.

The Senior Minister said the country spends upwards of seventy percent of all its non wage appropriations on procurement and wherever governance is weak, as much as one half or more of such expenditure on procurement can be lost through official corruption.

He said, "I have no doubt that cases of official corruption in public procurement contribute, in numerical frequency if not in monetary value, to that conclusion."

Mr. Mensah said, the government had submitted to Parliament a bill to reform Ghana's system of official procurement.

He said the government is to establish the provision of increased logistical support to the institutions involved in the fight against economic crime including the Police, Judiciary, SFO, CHRAJ, the strengthening of applicable codes such as the Banking and Companies Codes, Insurance and Financial Accounting Regulations, passage of the Internal Audit and Procurement Bills to minimize corporate and official economic crime and the enactment of the Whistle Blower Act.

Finally, he said the crusade against economic crime has been successfully won in other countries. "Together we can also win it here in Ghana."

Last week, ADM published a World Economic Forum survey on corruption in Africa which showed Ghana occupying 10th position out of the 21 countries surveyed.