Chief of Staff Launches High-Level Anti-Corruption Working Group

Chief of Staff, Hon Julius Debrah has inaugurated a newly constituted high-level working group charged with developing a comprehensive National Anti-Corruption Strategy, aimed at combating corruption across Ghana’s public and private sectors.

Speaking at the official launch at the Presidency in Accra, Mr. Debrah said the initiative reflects President John Dramani Mahama’s continued commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in governance.

Mr. Debrah commended the achievements of the previous National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP), noting that it significantly enhanced public awareness on corruption, introduced digital financial services, improved efficiency at ports, and led to the establishment of the Financial Stability Council—making Ghana only the second country in sub-Saharan Africa, after Mauritius, to achieve this.

Despite these gains, Mr. Debrah raised concern over Ghana’s declining performance on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, which dropped from 48% in 2014 to 42% in 2024.

“We must reverse this trend,” he stressed. “This working group has been given a clear mandate to design a strategy that will help restore public confidence and fulfil President Mahama’s pledge to uphold integrity in leadership.”

He called for a more advanced and holistic approach to the fight against corruption—one anchored in technology, strong legal frameworks, independent institutions, and political resolve. He also urged the group to revise and improve key components of the earlier NACAP to ensure long-term impact.

“Ethics must be central to this strategy,” Mr. Debrah said. “Corruption is not just a legal or financial issue; it is a moral failure. What we need now is a systemic shift built on values.”

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), the Attorney General’s Department, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

Presidential Advisor on PANACP, Professor Francis Dodoo, described the initiative as a bold move by the Mahama administration to institutionalize ethics and integrity in governance.

Mr. Debrah concluded the ceremony by expressing full confidence in the team’s expertise and set August 31, 2025, as the deadline for submission of the draft strategy.