Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has officially inaugurated a new working group tasked with developing Ghana’s second National Anti-Corruption Strategy, as part of renewed efforts to tackle entrenched corruption in the country’s public and private sectors.
The inauguration ceremony took place at the Presidency in Accra, marking a significant step in the government’s broader agenda to promote transparency, accountability, and ethical governance.
Mr. Debrah emphasized that the initiative aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s renewed commitment to fight corruption during his current term in office.
“Destiny has once again placed the responsibility on President Mahama to lead the charge against corruption, just as he did in 2014 when the first National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) was passed by Parliament,” he said.
While highlighting key achievements under the original NACAP, Mr. Debrah noted progress in areas such as public awareness, whistleblower protections, digitisation of financial services, operational improvements at ports, and the formation of the Financial Stability Council — positioning Ghana as only the second country in sub-Saharan Africa, after Mauritius, to implement such a body.
He also cited success in areas like tackling workplace sexual harassment and improving anti-money laundering and terrorism financing measures. However, he raised alarm over Ghana’s slide on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which dropped from 48 per cent in 2014 to 42 per cent in 2024.
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“We have to reverse this trend,” Mr. Debrah said. “This group is charged to ensure that the new strategy does just that, in line with President Mahama’s pledge to Ghanaians.”
The Chief of Staff urged the newly inaugurated working group to adopt a more sophisticated and modern approach to addressing corruption. He called for the use of advanced technology, the implementation of robust legislation, reinforcement of institutional independence, and above all, unwavering political will.
He also recommended a critical review of elements of the previous NACAP to produce more effective and sustainable outcomes. “Ethics must be a key pillar in the next strategy because corruption is first and foremost a moral issue,” he said. “We need a strategy that delivers shock therapy to the system.”
The new strategy will be coordinated by the Office of the Presidential Advisor on the National Anti-Corruption Programme (PANACP), in collaboration with the Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration). It will also involve key state institutions including the Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
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Presidential Advisor on PANACP, Professor Francis Dodoo, described the initiative as a decisive step by the Mahama administration to “eliminate corruption, strengthen integrity, and entrench ethical governance” across the country.
The Chief of Staff concluded by expressing confidence in the technical competence of the working group and set a clear deadline: “We expect the draft strategy to be submitted no later than August 31, 2025.”
