In the promotion of its objective to create a forum for interaction among the Government, Public and Private sector institutions and the civil society groups working in the area of anti-corruption and foster cooperation with development partners to establish good governance for sustainable development and anti-corruption, the Ghana Anti-CorruptionCoalition and the National Governance Programme organised a dialogue among experts to critique and analyse the Index, examine the methodology used in the survey, and come out with recommendation to adopt to improve upon the perception.

The objectives of the Expert Meeting were to;

• Create a platform for awareness and upgrade knowledge on the methodology used in compiling the corruption Perception Index
  

• Create a mechanism for exchange of information on the impact of the various anti-corruption measures on the perception of corruption in Ghana
  

• To intensify and bring commitment from all stakeholders in the fight against corruption
  

• To assess the impact of the various strategies that has been adopted over the years
  

•  Examine the factors that influenced the computation of the index and its correlation with the level of corruption.
  

• Outline recommendation on the way forward in the fight against corruption and the computation of the index

To meet the above objectives, experts presented two main papers on the following topics:

1. Methodology of the Corruption Perception Index
2. Anti-Corruption Strategies and their Effect on Combating Corruption in Ghana:Challenges and Prospects

Forty-seven experts who are also decision makers in the public, private sector as well as civil society organizations including professional bodies and development partners participated in the day’s event. Organizations represented included the Attorney General’s Office, the Audit Service, Office of Accountability and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), UNDP and the Netherlands Development Organization, SNV.

Participants were almost unanimous in the opinion that new measurements of corruption must be developed which will reflect the true situation on the ground. Some of the experts raised issues with CPI’s sources and sampling frame as well as the period of data collection. The following suggestions also came up during the open forum:

• The need to develop concrete strategies to remove the perception of corruption that has engulfed the judiciary
• Testing perception on the ground by identifying an institution and using the CPI for practical analysis
• Poor anti-corruption culture of Ghanaians. Ghanaians are corrupt because the environment has made it so.
• There should be more public debates on the subject of corruption using Anti- Corruption Clubs· The need to interrogate the sources used for the CPI
• The passage of the Freedom of Information Bill is long overdue since the Institute of Economic Affairs initiated the process in 1989. There is need for the Bill to be passed as soon as possible to complement the Whistle Blower’s Bill that was passed this year.
• Too much talk on the negative elements of Corruption. Let’s focus on rewards to encourage good corporate governance practices.
• Impose penalty on those who engage in corruption in addition to blacklisting them.
• Government should resource institutions such as the National Commission for Civic Education to educate and intensify public awareness of corruption
• The individual should be the target of anti corruption campaigns. Corruption is driven by individual behavior.
• Promote public sector role in the fight against corruption

Click for pictures from the event