Draft National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP)

Regional Consultations

Objective of today’s sessionTo create awareness about NACAP

To elicit perspectives on key issues to be addressed in the NACAP

To elicit your views on what should be included in the NACAP and your role

The process Semi-structured interviews, focus groups

discussions and workshops with representatives from Government, civil society, Parliament and private sector

Consultations in Accra and in 36 districtsGap analysis and recommendations

developed Consultation with ParliamentariansConsultations led by CHRAJ in 10 regionsSubmission of NACAP to Parliament end of

April 2011

The concept of corruption in Ghana

Corruption is understood broadly in Ghana:

Chop Chop, greasing the palm, percentage system, under-invoicing, over-invoicing, conflict of interest, absentism, ghost names on payrolls, misapplication of funds, shoddy work, favoritism, ineffective and inefficient structures leading to excessive use of discretional powers, misuse of time, collusion

Corruption in GhanaSurveys have revealed that Ghana is perceived

by its citizens as a very corrupt country:The most recent survey (TI 2009) showed that

42% of all households in Ghana paid a bribe in the last year:

to the police by 63% to the judiciary by 44%to get register and permits by 32%to land services by 29%to education authorities by 20%

Corruption in GhanaWorld Bank 2007 Enterprise Survey:39% of firms expected to pay informal

payments to public officials (to get things done), 23% of firms expected to give gifts to get an operating licence, 18% of firms expected to give gifts in meetings with tax officials and 61% of firms expected to give gifts to secure a government contract

Corruption in GhanaGhana Audit Service and the Public

Accounts Committee have drawn attention to widespread occurrences of misappropriations including unauthorized payment, waste, misuse and gross mismanagement of funds in public administration in their annual reports.

On the positive sideGhana:is on its way to become a well functioning

democratic nationhas made significant progress in achieving a

system of good governance compared to its neighbours

has laid foundations for a legislative and institutional framework to combat corruption

has a vibrant and dynamic civil society and mediahas a Parliament that is becoming increasingly

effective as an oversight body

There are however still challengesMissing and ineffective or poorly

performing legislationInadequate implementation of

legislationLimited compliance with existing

legislationInadequate sanction regimeUnder resourced anti corruption

institutions and limited collaboration

Challenges cont. Weak reporting and follow up system

Public apathy to the fight against corruption

Weak civil society influence on Government

Private sector fuels corruption

Vision and purpose of NACAPThe vision: to contribute to a democratic and prosperous Ghana built on good governance, ethics and integrity

The purpose: to implement strategies aimed at reducing and ultimately eradicating corruption in all sectors and by all citizens

Strategic Objectives for the NACAPA society where corruption is strongly

condemned Efficient, accountable and transparent public,

private and not-for profit institutionsEngagement of individuals, civil society and

the private sector in reporting and generally combating corruption

An enabling environment for effective investigation and prosecution of corrupt conducts

Key elements of the PlanMacro-IssuesInstitution building and reformStrengthening oversightPublic awareness and educationPrevention of corruptionCreating an enabling environment

Macro issues As part of Ghana’s commitments to transparent

and accountable governance:

Ghana has ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and African Union Convention Against Corruption (AUCAC)

The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness: Ghana having endorsed this Declaration, has committed itself to strengthening its public financial management system in exchange for DP using country systems

Ghana was the first country to be reviewed under the African Peer Review Mechanism

Macro-Issues Ghana has ambitions to become a middle-income

country by 2020. In line with this ambition:

The strong growth in GDP nearly halved the poverty rate in Ghana from approximately 52.0% in the beginning of the 1990s to 28.6% in 2005/6.

At this rate, Ghana is poised to achieve the MDG of halving extreme poverty ahead of the 2015 time frame.

In order for the NACAP to be successful these key macro-economic and political issues need to be understood and addressed.

Institution Building and ReformBuilding and strengthening strong public and

private institutions is an important component of good governance.

Poorly performing institutions result in declining quality of services, inadequate policy formulation, weak financial management, misallocation of resources and poor decision-making.

Measures to deal with this could include: fostering an environment of meritocracy; improving the working conditions of public servants; reviewing financial management practices

Strengthening OversightWatchdog and oversight bodies, including

CHRAJ and Parliament, play a vital role in the fight against corruption and require strengthening in order to fulfil their mandate effectively.

This will need to be achieved by: Providing adequate resources to enable them

to achieve their mandate;Reviewing legal frameworks to enhance

operational environment;Opening avenues for grassroots participation

Public Awareness and EducationThe fight against corruption will bear little

fruit without raising the awareness of the general public on the dangers of corruption and rights and responsibilities.

This will help to build intolerance towards corruption and encourage active participation of society.

To create this environment, the following strategies are recommended: Civic and formal education on ethics and anti-

corruptionEnsuring access to information; Strengthening the monitoring role of civil

society; Strengthening investigative journalism. etc.

Prevention of CorruptionIn order to prevent corruption it is necessary

to:eliminate loopholes in legal acts and fill in the

gaps in operational procedures of public authorities as well as the other areas promoting the conditions for corruption;

Enforcing asset declaration;Improving the financial accountability of

ministries, departments and agencies, as well as local government;

Clarifying conflict of interest guidelines;Publication of political party accounts. Etc.

Creating an Enabling EnvironmentThe creation of an enabling environment to

tackle corruption includes many of the elements mentioned previously particularly prevention, education, strengthening oversight etc.

To create an enabling environment, the priority actions would include: Reviewing pertinent legislation to ensure they

are adequate and effective; Enforcing the Code of Conduct by ensuring

that it is passed into legislation;Continuous advocacy on transparency and

advocacy in all sectors (possibly through the Ethics Desks in MDAs)

TimeframesShort term 1-2Medium 3-5Long term 6-10

Role of StakeholdersFor NACAP to work, all stakeholders need to

work and collaborate together to achieve the needed results.

The stakeholders directly involved in this action plan include:1. Executive 2. Legislature 3. Judiciary 4. Media 5. Civil Society Organizations 6. Anti-Corruption Agencies 7. Cabinet 8. MDA’s

9. DCE’s 10. Private Sector 11. Traditional Authorities 12. Political Parties 13. Electoral Commission 14. Religious bodies 15. General citizens 16. Donors

Discussion