ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
Kwadwo Baah Agyemang ; to the allegations of bribery levelled against the Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Charles Bissue; to those involving the dismissed acting CEO of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), A. B Adjei; and the dismissed CEO of the National Youth Authority, Emmanuel Asigiri – they have all been investigated and, in most cases, cleared by the authorised institutions of our state, and not by President Akufo-Addo.
The latest episode involving the former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon.
Cecilia Abena Dapaah, is evident for all to see.
I am not aware of any government in the 4 th Republic subjecting so many of its officials to such investigations and inquiries.
At the same time, several officials of the previous Mahama administration, such as William Matthew Tetteh Tevie, Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman and Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, in the infamous $4 million NCA scandal, have been tried and convicted of various corruption-related offences, and several others, including Dr.
Stephen Opuni, the former CEO of COCOBOD, and Hon.
Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader in Parliament, are standing trial as we speak.
None of the accountability institutions of state, including the new Office of Special Prosecutor, have ever indicated any pressure from the Executive over their investigations.
There are some who refuse to accept my method of proceeding and have characterised me as a ‘clearing agent’, because, for them, the mere allegation without more is enough to merit condemnation of the public official.
For my part, I will not set aside due process in the fight against corruption, no matter how much opprobrium this incurs for me.
With a clear understanding that corruption thrives in an atmosphere conducive to its concealment, and that access to information is a vital tool in the fight against corruption, my government, in its first term, ensured the passage of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), in order to give true meaning and effect to article 21(1)(f) of the Constitution.
The Act, which successive governments had failed to pass, sees to the implementation of the constitutional right to information, held by a public institution, to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs, subject to exemptions necessary and consistent with the protection of the public interest in a democratic society.
The Act is being implemented fully now, with the governing Board chaired by an experienced, retired High Court Judge.
The Ministry of Information has trained information officers in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government to support the full application of the law.
In 2018, again during my 1 st term, Parliament passed the Witness Protection Act, 2018, (Act 975), to which I gave assent on 24 th August the same year.
The Act established a Witness Protection Agency to establish a witness protection scheme as a vehicle for offering protection to persons, who are required to co-operate with law enforcement agencies as witnesses in the investigation and prosecution of cases, particularly corruption cases affecting public officers.
The Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act, 2020, (Act 1034), has been passed to amend section 239 of the Criminal Offences Act, to categorise the offence of corruption, previously a misdemeanour, as a felony, and to provide stiffer punishments of terms of imprisonment of not less than twelve (12) years and not more than twenty-five (25) years in prison.
Other laws passed by Parliament, at the instigation of my administration, and which have enhanced significantly the capacity of the State in the fight against corruption, are the: Administratively, a series of other far-reaching measures have been undertaken by my government to help in the fight against corruption.
A Memorandum of Understanding, on information exchange and collaboration in combating corruption and crime in general, has been signed by CHRAJ, EOCO, Parliament, Office of the Attorney-General, Ghana Audit Service, Ghana Police Service, Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), Narcotics Control Commission, Internal Audit Agency, National Investigations Bureau (NIB), and the Office of the Special Prosecutor, to this end.
Underlying the digitalisation agenda of my government, which comprises a robust national identification system, digital property address system, paperless port system, e-justice system, pensions and insurance data, a digitised land registry, and mobile money interoperability system, is the overarching objective to improve transparency, accountability and efficiency in the public sector.
A digitised environment, ultimately, helps to eliminate and prevent corruption in various institutions and agencies.
The passport office, ports and harbours, Registrar-General’s Department, National Health Insurance Service, Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority, which, hitherto, were fertile grounds for corrupt activity, are being transformed beyond recognition.
The introduction of the Ghana.Gov platform has significantly reduced the risk of public sector corruption through embezzlement, making it possible for services to be accessed and payments made online by card or mobile money, with a considerable reduction in the conduit of middlemen or ‘goro boys’.
It is also an undeniable fact that budgetary allocations for institutions actively engaged in public sector accountability, i.e., the Office of the Auditor-General, the Judiciary, Parliament, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Ghana Police Service, the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO), and the Financial Intelligence Centre, have witnessed unprecedented increases since I assumed office in 2017.
At the end of 2022, the budgetary allocation to Parliament witnessed a one hundred percent (100%) increase, compared to what I inherited in 2016; the Police saw its budget increase by two hundred and seventy-four percent (274%) at the end of 2022, in comparison to 2016; the Audit Service recorded a two hundred and fifty-eight percent (258%) rise in its budgetary allocation at the end of 2022, as compared to 2016; the budget of the Judiciary rose by thirty-six percent (36%) at the end of 2022, compared to 2016; the budget of the Office of the Attorney-General increased by one hundred and sixty-two percent (162%) at the end of 2022, compared to 2016; the budget of EOCO increased by forty-seven percent (47%) at the end of 2022, in comparison to 2016; the budget of the Financial Intelligence Centre increased by four hundred and forty-three percent (443%), compared to 2016; whilst the budget of CHRAJ increased by ninety-nine percent (99%) at the end of 2022, compared to 2016.
These figures reflect my resolve to ensure that institutions of state of relevance in the anti-corruption agendum are properly equipped to discharge satisfactorily the mandate of their offices.
In the area of investigations and prosecution of corruption and corruption related offences, a distinct innovation was undertaken by my administration in 2017, with the decision to set up an Office of Special Prosecutor, through the passage of the Office of Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
The establishment of the Office of Special Prosecutor represents the most courageous measure by any government in the 4 th Republic, to prosecute corruption in the executive arm of government.
The monopoly of prosecutorial authority by an Attorney-General, hired or fired by a President, had been identified by some as a key factor allegedly standing in the way of law enforcement and prosecution as a credible tool in the fight against corruption before 2017.
Even though the President appoints the Special Prosecutor, the President cannot, unilaterally, unlike in the case of the Attorney General, remove the Special Prosecutor from office.
Article 15 of Act 959 vests the power to remove the Special Prosecutor in a Committee established by the Chief Justice, with the President acting only in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee.
His or her independence of the President is, thereby, assured.
Learned friends, in as much as public officials are required to declare their assets upon taking office, as a tool of fighting corruption, a constitutional requirement which has been fulfilled by virtually all officials of both my administrations, I am, however, of the candid opinion that existing legislation on corruption, relating to the conduct of public officers in Ghana, appears to be inadequate to deal extensively with public office accountability.
The need to lay down a set of far-reaching and a more fit for purpose set of regulations for the conduct of public officers, which will give effect to the provisions of Chapter 24 of the Constitution on Conduct of Public Officers, is, in my view, now self-evident.
The Attorney-General, on behalf of Government, is leading the effort to enact a law on the Conduct of Public Officers.
He has undertaken various stakeholder consultations with a number of public sector organisations, civil society and other interest groups to this end.
When passed into law, the Conduct of Public Officers Act will follow the example of legislations in other jurisdictions like the United States Ethics in Government Act of 1978, the Public Officers Ethics Act of Kenya of 2003, and the U.K.
Constitutional and Governance Act of 2010, in addressing issues regarding financial portfolios held by public officers before assuming public office, links to family business, improper enrichment, care of public property, professional practices, property, investments/shareholdings and other assets, self-dealing, partiality in the performance of duties, use of public or confidential information to further private interest, amongst others.
The Bill will provide a gamut of stringent administrative measures and sanctions to deal with violations of the law, ranging from a bar against holding public office for limited and indefinite periods, to penal measures.
The Bill will also seek to strengthen the role of CHRAJ in the investigation of allegations of contravention of or non-compliance with the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, including conflict of interest, non-declaration of assets, and illicit enrichment.
The Attorney General will bring the Bill soon for the consideration of Cabinet and subsequent enactment by Parliament, upon the conclusion of his consultations.
What I have done is to show you that my government has fought and is fighting corruption not just in high-sounding words, but, actually, in concrete deeds.
We have shunned mere exhortations and showy denunciations of unproved corruption.
It has been a holistic approach.
We have made institutional reforms, we have enacted additional, requisite laws, and we have resourced more adequately the accountability organs of state.
Our fight against corruption has been grounded on legislative, financial and institutional action, and not on mere lip-service.
I can assure you that the fight to enhance standards and integrity in public life will continue under the Akufo-Addo Government.
We will enforce the law, no matter who is affected because it is a necessary foundation for the successful fight against corruption, and for guaranteeing integrity in public life.
The law must truly be no respecter of persons.
Learned friends, I know that, in some common law countries, particularly in the United States of America, the political colour of judges is a legitimate topic of public discourse.
Indeed, judges at the District and State levels, within the federal structure of the American Government, are elected officials, and, even though judges at the federal level, including those of the Federal Court of Appeals and the US Supreme Court, are appointed by the President, with the consent of the Senate, their political colouring is generally well-known and accepted.
Historically, this has not been the case in Ghana, largely because of the critical, controlling role of the Judicial Council, a non-partisan body chaired by the Chief Justice, in the process of judicial appointments.
It has meant that judicial appointments are conducted essentially on the basis of professional merit and suitability.
Appointments to the lower courts, the High Court and the Court of Appeal are done by the President, exclusively on the advice of the Judicial Council.
In the case of appointments to the Supreme Court, because of its unique position in our judicial structure, there are the additional requirements of the consultation of the Council of State and the approval of Parliament.
In the overwhelming number of cases of justices-designate to the Supreme Court, that approval has been given on a bi-partisan basis.
You can count on the fingers of a hand the number of justices-designate whose approval met less than unanimous consent.
I have gone into this matter in some detail because of a new concept that has been recently introduced into our public discourse by no less a public figure than the 4 th President of the 4 th Republic, the perennial NDC presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, who has told the world that I have packed the courts with so-called “NPP judges”, and that one of the key purposes of a putative NDC victory in 2024 will be to enable him balance the courts with so-called “NDC judges”.
Not only are these concepts of “NPP” and “NDC” judges new in our public discourse, they are also extremely dangerous, and represent the most brazen attack on the independence of the judiciary by any allegedly responsible politician of the 4 th Republic.
They provide another reason, if more were needed, why right-thinking citizens should ensure the defeat in 2024 of the man whom the first Special Prosecutor identified as Government Official No.1, in the still unresolved Airbus Bribery Scandal.
I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute my thoughts to this important conversation, and to the deliberations on the theme of this Conference, and I wish you a successful meeting.
May God continue to bless the Ghana Bar Association, and us all, and may God bless our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.
The meeting was to lay bare his administration's strategy for the private sector for the next four years and the President-elect rallied the support of the private sector for government's activities.
Read the speech below: SPEECH BY NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE REPUBLIC, AT THE POST-AGM PRIVATE SECTOR FORUM OF THE PRIVATE ENTERPRISE FEDERATION (PEF), Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and my dear friends, I am very glad to be among you today and I am grateful for this opportunity to address the Annual General Meeting of the members of The Private Enterprise Federation, PEF.
I am glad to see so many friends in the audience.
This gives me comfort and confidence.
I had a slight moment of hesitation about accepting your invitation at this time because I thought the timing was a bit awkward.
The elections are over, I am no longer a candidate, we have won an emphatic victory but our mandate does not come into effect until January 7.
I decided I should come to your gathering because as the apex Business Council in Ghana representing over 80% of all Ghanaian businesses both in the formal and informal sector, you constitute a critical part of the solution to the main task of the Akufo-Addo government.
I need to have you on board right from the start and there can’t be a better time to have this conversation.
If, as we believe, the private sector is to lead in the development of the national economy, PEF and its members are key constituents in any discussion on Ghana’s future.
Since the Ghanaian people spoke with a clear voice and gave an overwhelming mandate to the NPP, I have been cheered by the general sense of optimism that has come over the entire population.
I have been particularly happy about the sense of optimism and hope among the business community.
I have, along with the rest of the country, heard about the reported reduction in prices of goods in the markets.
I suspect the approach of Christmas has something to do with these price reductions, but I am happy to go along with the suggestion that they are meant to demonstrate confidence in the incoming government.
I am in full support of any measure that cheers up the long suffering people of Ghana.
I need a happy and confident people to tackle the huge problems that we face.
I need a confident, imaginative and hardworking business community to create the prosperous Ghana we dream of.
The NPP’s vision for Ghana is to build a fair and prosperous society in a democratic, united nation.
To achieve this, we need a well-educated and skilled population, an efficient public service with strong institutions and a competitive economy that is capable of producing sustainable growth, jobs and shared benefits for all.
We have laid out our plans in our Manifesto which we call Change: An Agenda for Jobs, which I am sure you have all read from cover to cover already.
Bear with me though as I pick out some parts just for emphasis.
We aim to build the most business-friendly and people-friendly economy in Africa, which will create jobs and prosperity for all Ghanaians; and this we intend to do through private sector empowerment.
– I repeat through private sector empowerment.
Government’s role is to create the atmosphere for the private sector to flourish.
We aim to achieve double-digit GDP growth annually for the next four years, and this is possible if you remember that under the Kufuor-led NPP government the economy attained a GDP growth rate of 9.1 percent in 2008 without oil.
We will reduce the cost of doing business, maintain fiscal discipline, reduce government borrowing and reduce interest rates to spur private sector investment.
Our economic programme will enhance agricultural production and productivity, along with a transformation of the economy through value- addition to our raw materials in a process of rapid industrialization.
The NPP will invest in our people through the provision of quality education and healthcare, as well as affordable housing.
The role of government would be one of providing an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive, as well as putting in place social policies to protect the disadvantaged and vulnerable in society.
In particular, the NPP will implement policies to invest in rural, coastal, Zongo and inner city communities.
To attain a competitive economy that is capable of producing sustainable growth, jobs and shared benefits for all – two key stakeholders must play their roles_ The Government, by setting the environment and climate to allow private sector to flourish, and The Private Sector to have the confidence to exploit all the opportunities offered by such a business friendly administration.
Once in government, our priority is to do all we can to give YOU the confidence of a positive business environment devoid of arbitrary and irrational policy initiatives and one that gives YOU the confidence to do what you do best – INVEST IN THE NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE JOBS AND PROSPERITY To achieve our objectives, our principal economic policy direction will be to: restore macroeconomic stability, shift the focus of economic management from taxation to production, manage the economy competently, and make the machinery of government work to deliver the benefits of progress to Ghanaians.
Restoring Macroeconomic Stability The NPP will restore and maintain macroeconomic stability through the pursuit of sound policies on the basis of an enhanced institutional framework.
Macroeconomic stability is built around three pillars: monetary discipline, fiscal discipline and financial stability.
To reinforce monetary discipline, the Bank of Ghana Act, 2002 (Act 612) established the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to guide the implementation of monetary policy.
The other two pillars (fiscal discipline and financial stability) have no such institutional anchors.
Enhancing Fiscal Discipline Fiscal indiscipline has been the bane of economic management in the country.
To address this, the IMF recently insisted on the passage of a Public Financial Management Act.
However, the law, as enacted, is woefully inadequate, because it lacks the key elements that will protect the public purse from abuse.
Fiscal policy implementation, as it stands now, lacks three basic elements; the absence of a transparent institutional arrangement for providing quality fiscal information to the public, the absence of a mechanism for ensuring accountability in implementing optimal fiscal policies to guarantee the stability of the system, and the absence of an institution to ensure the credibility of fiscal projections provided by the Government.
To address the problem of the current high public debt levels and the country’s high risk of debt distress, our government will adopt and implement rules to anchor fiscal policy implementation.
For example, there will be specific targets for the reduction of government borrowing and debt.
We intend to enact a Fiscal Responsibility Law (FRL) to bring comprehensiveness, accountability, transparency and stability to the entire budgetary process.
Under this law, a Fiscal Council would be established to set up medium-term fiscal policy and monitor compliance.
In addition, to restore overall macroeconomic stability, we will: undertake financial sector reform to deepen financial markets, promote financial inclusion, enhance the supervision and regulation of the financial institutions and move the country’s payment system towards an electronic payments system implement a strategy aimed at repositioning the country as an International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) within the region to create jobs formalize the economy through the establishment of a national database, using the National Identification System as the primary identifier, with linkages to the databases of institutions such as the Police, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Passport Office, Immigration, Courts, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), and Stabilize the currency exchange rate for the long term through prudent and disciplined macroeconomic management, an increase in domestic production, and an increase in exports.
Shifting the Focus of Economic Management from Taxation to Production Ladies and gentlemen, I believe I preach to the converted when I state that our economy has been choked by the imposition of far too many taxes.
This has increased the burden on the private sector and has become a disincentive for investment and production.
To address these challenges, the new administration will shift the focus of economic policy away from taxation to production by removing what Dr Bawumia famously terms the nuisance taxes.
The ensuing increase in production and economic growth, arising from a streamlining as well as the elimination and reduction of some of these taxes, will more than compensate for any temporary revenue shortfall.
In sum, we will make Ghana work again.
Ladies and gentlemen, easily the most critical problem facing our country and the number one priority for the incoming government is the lack of jobs especially for young people.
We believe that job creation is essentially a private sector activity , and we will put in place the policy framework that will help businesses expand and create jobs, as well as promote the growth of entrepreneurship opportunities for young Ghanaians in particular.
We have a clearly thought out agenda for job creation in place and I invite you to join us for its rapid implementation.
I know that our industrial sector faces difficulties.
There is a long, intimidating list of challenges that we have identified.Our strategy is to address these challenges in ways that enable industry to thrive and become a major source of jobs, especially for the youth.
Let me briefly address some of the key issues and how my administration will address them BUSINESS FINANCING Our businesses cannot be competitive when the cost of capital is so high.
Interest rates are hovering around 34%pa, there is inadequate medium-to-long term financing and venture capital funding, and inadequate credit financing for SMEs.