CHRAJ to formulate guidelines on conflict of interest and gifts

Mr Emile Short, Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), on Tuesday said the Commission was in the process of formulating guidelines on conflict of interest and gift giving to direct public officials in the performance of their duties.

Speaking at the launch of three anti-corruption reports, Mr Short said the strategy on conflict of interest and gift giving when completed would be submitted to various forums for the inputs of stakeholders to make it an effective tool in the fight against corruption.

Mr Short said well thought-out and concrete laws on the two issues would enable public officials to clearly draw the line between what constituted an acceptable or deviant practice in the execution of their jobs.

He said the Commission would play its role adequately in fulfilling the President's declaration of "Zero-Tolerance For Corruption" in the country.

Launching the reports, which are aimed at integrating anti-corruption measures in the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy, Mr Dan Boakye Agyeman from the Office of the President, said corruption had been a bane on Ghana's economic development over the years.

He said the issue of corruption called for innovative approaches that would enable stakeholders to tackle the problem and nip it in the bud.

Mrs Leonora Kyeremanteng, National Coordinator, National Governance Programme, said the infusion of the anti-corruption action plan into the GPRS would provide further impetus for the adoption of anti-corruption measures in policy formulation.

She commended Ghana for various legislations aimed to enhance transparency and operationalise anti-corruption efforts, citing laws relating to procurement, financial management, whistleblower and access to information bills which are currently at various stages of enactment into law.

Mrs Kyeremanteng called for a multi-sectoral approach in dealing with the issue of corruption at all levels of society.

She urged the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, for which she is the chairperson, to strengthen its watchdog role with the view to optimising resource allocation and reform of anti-corruption laws to enhance enforcement.

The three publications launched are the "Report of the 5th National Governance Workshop 2001", "Mainstreaming Anti-Corruption Measures in Policy Formulation in Ghana" and "The Global Corruption Report 2003".

The Report of the 5th National Governance Workshop 2001 leans heavily towards ensuring clarity of focus in the strengthening of institutional management and resourcing mechanisms.

The moral and ethical dimensions of corruption are also highlighted, emphasising that even the best systems of governance might not thrive if there were no personal integrity.

That on "Mainstreaming Anti-Corruption Measures in Policy Formulation in Ghana" and "The Global Corruption Report 2003", a publication by Transparency International, underscored the need for access to information in the fight against corruption at all stages.