CSO urged to support anti-corruption agencies

Participants at an Ethical and Integrity Compliance training course, have called on anti-corruption civil society organisations (CSO) to collaborate with the implementers of the new anti-corruption mechanisms for state agencies.

The new anti-corruption mechanism tagged: “National Anti-corruption Action Plan - NACAP,” demands a holistic and comprehensive approach by both the public and CSOs in the fight against corruption.

Some of the participants said made the call to the Ghana News Agency in an interview on the side lines of the training organised by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in collaboration with NACAP and UNDP at Ada, in the Greater Accra Region.

They called on CSOs especially the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, and Ghana Integrity Initiative, who worked with state institutions for the development of NACAP, to join in its implementation.

Besides fighting corruption, NACAP seeks to promote national development as it contains the strategic action plans identified and agreed upon by stakeholders including the private sector.

NACAP is to be integrated into national development planning, making the plan an integral part of the regular activities of public institutions including Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Mr Richard Quayson, Acting Commissioner of Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice said NACAP is addressing issues relating to the public’s seemingly acceptance of corruption or high tolerance for the vice and limited awareness of the linkage between human rights and corruption.

Other issues that NACAP seeks to address include weak political will to dispassionately pursue anti—corruption measures; under-resourced anti-corruption agencies and independent governance institutions; and weak co-ordination and collaboration among anti-corruption agencies.

Weak reporting systems and follow-up action; public cynicism and apathy toward the fight against corruption; weak capacity of civil society and media to address public accountability; abuse of incumbency; electoral fraud; weak public financial management systems; excessive bureaucracy; politicisation of the fight against corruption.

The rest of the issues are; limited investigative journalism; weak enforcement of legislation; weak assets declaration regime; limited attention to gender in anti-corruption programme; unregulated discretion in the use of public authority and international cooperation.

Mr Quayson said the main objective of any corruption prevention strategy is to reduce the opportunity for, and occurrence of, corruption and rent-seeking behaviour.

He said corruption could also be addressed by the private sector’s refusal to engage the public sector in corrupt practices through increased awareness creation.

The Acting CHRAJ Commissioner said the private sector including political parties must be encouraged by legislative requirements to be more transparent in their funding and expenditure.