Anti-Corruption Measures Proposed

The Director of Legal Policy and Governance at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD), Mr. Kwasi Prempeh has called for the formulation of a framework for Corruption Impact Analysis (CIA) to evaluate and assess the acceptability of important policy measures, laws and regulations to mitigate corruption.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the topic, "Mainstreaming Anti-Corruption Measures in Policy Formulation," Mr. Prempeh said the CIA concept would ensure that major national policy or legislative proposal passes the test of acceptability.

He said the CIA could operate along the lines of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure in the country, which checks the environmental effect of a project against its benefits.

The forum organised by the Ghana Integrity Initiative the local chapter of Transparency International was aimed at finding ways of making anti-corruption issues dominant in public discussions and to push for stringent anti-corruption laws.

Mr. Prempeh said it is necessary to reverse the critical deficit that has long existed in the country in the area of administrative law and practice if the country is serious about mainstreaming anti-corruption.

The Minority Leader, Mr. Alban Bagbin said frustrations public officials encounter especially on the opposition side in the discharge of their duties do not promote the watchdog role that the opposition is supposed to play. However he said he would not be intimidated by attempts of the government to hinder him from discharging his duties adequately. "So far as I remain Minority Leader no amount of intimidation can ever cow me from doing what I am doing for the interest of the people. When I raise an issue concerning the Executive they do not only deny me and others the opportunity of going further to investigate. They rather use state resources to investigate me."