Parliamentarians committed to fighting corruption

Accra, July 19, GNA - Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, theMinority Leader in Parliament, on Monday launched the African Parliamentarian Network Against Corruption (APNAC) Ghana pilot project.

The project provides an opportunity for members to look into corruption related areas especially with regards to Public Procurement Act which is the process by which national budgets are translated into programmes through the purchase of goods, works and services.

The one-year project is under the theme; "Towards Ensuring A Corruption-Free Public Procurement System.''

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said fighting corruption required a multifaceted approach, adding that it was in pursuit of this agenda that between October 13 and October 16, 2002 Parliamentarians from all over the world met in the Canadian and formed the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption and corruption was identified as the single greatest threat to democracy.

He said in 1999 some African Parliamentarians concerned about the worse situation of corruption in African countries came together to form APNAC.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said research had established that corruption was impacted severely negatively on economic growth through many conduits like incorrect policies, unpredictable processes, inequitable and distorted public expenditure resulting from vested interests leads to macro-economic instability among others.

He said the economic cost of corruption was borne disproportionately by the poor making it difficult for the poor to escape from poverty through small-scale entrepreneurial activity.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the issue of corruption was damage-inflicting and as such they called for structured and coordinated attacks such as institutional restraints on power, political accountability, policy reform, efficient and effective public sector management and civil society participation.

Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, the Minister of Health, called for a critical look at the membership of the Public Account Committee as there was a gap of information flow adding that many other members needed to be in the committee.

Dr Kumbuor said there was the need for a network which should include not less than five institutions to make sure nobody takes advantage of any situation.

Mr Daniel Batidam, Executive Director of APNAC, lauded APNAC for the initiative adding that procurement ranges from purchases such as office stationary to highly complex items for purposes such as construction materials for road, power station and even to the realm of sensitive items such as weapons for the military.