Akufo-Addo’s policies to fight corruption unmatched – Bawumia
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday said the policies and programmes being implemented by the Akufo-Addo’s administration to fight corruption are unmatched in Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
He noted that within two and half years in office, the Government had introduced administrative systems and institutions designed to reduce human interface in service delivery.
Additionally, it had increased resources to anti-graft agencies to improve their efficiency, cut out waste and eliminate opportunities for corrupt practices.
Vice President Bawumia touted the Government’s success story when he delivered the keynote address at the maiden OccupyGhana Versus Attorney-General Anniversary Lectures in Accra on Friday.
He said government was putting in place administrative systems and strengthening institutions that would help the nation’s quest to fight the canker.
“The online systems we are putting in place have virtually eliminated corruption at DVLA, Passport office and business registration at the Registrar-General’s Department. We have reduced corruption at the ports through the paperless reforms.
“The Auditor-General has so far disallowed some GH¢5 billion of government expenditure; we have passed the Right to Information Act, public procurement is now more transparent with the e-procurement system that has been implemented by the PPA.
“The e-justice programme has also been launched to automate the court processes.
“When the land digitization process is complete we will also virtually eliminate corruption at the Lands Commission.
“As you may be aware, at least 21 former public officials are currently on trial for alleged corruption-related offences.
“We have passed the necessary legislation and appointed a Special Prosecutor to deal with exceptional cases of corruption.
“We are currently rolling out a National ID, reducing the opportunities for corruption in the public sector with plans to go completely cashless in the public sector by the middle of next year thanks to the successful implementation of Mobile Money Interoperability.
“As the heads of the Audit Service, CHRAJ and other anti-corruption agencies can attest, we have provided significantly more resources in the last two years or so than used to be the case. The Auditor General just disclosed that the Service is getting threefold, the resources it used to get, now.
“The land mark reforms that we have introduced in the last two and a half years in the fight against corruption are unmatched by any government in the Fourth Republic or should I say, by any government in the last 50 years,” Vice President Bawumia pointed out.
Vice President Bawumia emphasized government’s resolve to implement the necessary reforms and collaborate with the appropriate agencies to deal with corruption.
“As a government, we remain committed to making corruption unattractive on a sustainable basis. This calls for collaboration and strengthening of institutions mandated by the Constitution and other laws of the country to protect the public purse. We are doing more beyond the use of technology to build systems and institutions in the fight against corruption,” he said.
Vice President Bawumia said: “The fight against corruption remains our work in progress. We believe that our best instruments are through the development and strengthening of institutions and systems to improve transparency, accountability and timeliness in the accountability in the use of public resources.”
He urged all stakeholders to join the Government to fight corruption, pointing out that the negative effects of corruption affect everybody, irrespective of one’s status or position in society.
“We believe that the success of our fight against corruption depends on the collaboration among all institutions – public and private – and citizens.
“Without the work of concerned individuals called OccupyGhana, working as an NGO, reportedly with very little support from anyone but themselves, we would not be here today to celebrate the development in the evolution of the law and the fight against corruption.
“We applaud all those bold citizens who will stand up against the corrupt and the embezzlers of public funds. May we all continue in this most critical work of protecting our common wealth and ensure that we can use and share our resources efficiently and fairly to the benefit of all,” Dr Bawumia said.
Source: GNA