Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has inaugurated a new working group tasked with developing a second National Anti-Corruption Strategy to combat pervasive corruption in Ghana’s public and private sectors.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony at the Presidency in Accra, on July 3, Mr. Debrah said the renewed effort follows President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to deepen transparency and accountability during his current term.
He noted that destiny had 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.
Mr. Debrah highlighted achievements under the previous NACAP, including increased public awareness of corruption and reporting mechanisms like whistleblowing, digitisation of financial services, improved operations at ports, and the establishment of the Financial Stability Council—making Ghana only the second sub-Saharan country, after Mauritius, to do so.
He also pointed to progress in combating sexual harassment in workplaces and in enforcing anti-money laundering and terrorism financing regulations.
However, he expressed concern over Ghana’s declining performance on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), dropping from 48% in 2014 to 42% in 2024.
“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.”
He called for a more sophisticated approach to corruption, incorporating technology, strong legislation, institutional independence, and political will.
He also urged the group to rethink some elements of the previous NACAP to achieve more meaningful 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), working closely with the Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration). It will also involve key agencies such as the Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Prof. Francis Dodoo, Presidential Advisor on PANACP, described the new strategy as a decisive step by the Mahama administration to eliminate corruption, strengthen integrity, and entrench ethical governance nationwide.
Mr. Debrah concluded by expressing confidence in the technical team assembled and set a deadline of August 31, 2025, for submission of the draft strategy.
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