Accra: Mr. Julius Debrah, the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fund and support anti-graft agencies and initiatives. Mr. Debrah made this announcement during a regional stakeholder engagement held in Accra, aimed at finalizing the new National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Strategy and Implementation Plan (NEACASIP). The meeting gathered both formal and informal stakeholders to develop a comprehensive strategy for promoting ethical governance in Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Debrah emphasized that the previous National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) from 2015 to 2024 faced significant challenges due to underfunding and a lack of strong political commitment. He highlighted the severity of corruption, describing it as the single greatest threat to President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of a resilient economy. Citing data from the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Mr. Debrah revealed that Ghana loses approximately $3 billion USD annually to corruption, a figure that is double the country’s foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow of about $1.5 billion USD.
“This staggering loss deprives us of the very resources we need to build schools, hospitals, roads, and create decent jobs for our youth,” Mr. Debrah remarked. He stressed that combating corruption is not just a competing priority but a fundamental investment for Ghana’s future. Corruption, he noted, erodes investor confidence, breeds inefficiency in institutions, and undermines the trust that sustains Ghana’s democracy.
Mr. Debrah explained that the new NEACASIP has been placed directly under the Office of the President to ensure its active implementation and prioritization. He acknowledged the limitations of government resources but insisted that preventing corruption should be seen as a fundamental priority rather than a competing one. “Funding anti-corruption initiatives is not a cost but an investment. It is the surest way to safeguard our limited resources and optimize them for development,” he stated.
He further stressed the importance of embedding ethics as a national culture rather than just a policy, citing recent media reports that indicate ethical decay within institutions. Mr. Debrah called on stakeholders to be candid, practical, and bold in their contributions, encouraging a spirit of constructive disagreement to ensure the final anti-corruption plan serves as a transformative tool for governance and resource integrity in Ghana.