ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Governance aqnd Advancement in Financial Institutions in Ghana

This study examined the effect of governance on financial institutions in Ghana. This is because studies done so far on this topic have failed to elicit the unique features of the governance on financial institutions in Ghana into consideration. The study was guided by endowment and new institution theory. The study adopted Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bound testing cointegration by Pesaran, Shin and Smith (2001) technique. The findings of the study are as follows: there is no long run relationship between governance and domestic credit to private sector in Ghana, there is no long run relationship between governance and broad money in Ghana, there is short run relationship between governance and domestic credit to private sector in Ghana there is short run relationship between governance and broad money in Ghana. Guided by the findings obtained from the study, the following recommendations were put forward to the leader of Ghana should help enhance governance so that it would translate into a better financial institution. Governance policies should be directed into vibrant monitoring, capital assistant and training for the financial institutions in Ghana, in order to have sound financial institutions in Ghana.

Source: UCC
Governance of forest plantation development in selected forest districts in the ecological transition zone of Ghana.

In the world today, anticipated ecological and economic gains of natural resources have become uncertain mainly due to the complexity and weaknesses of governance. The forest sector in Ghana has, over the years, focused on Forest Plantation Development (FPD) to reverse the phenomenon of deforestation and forest degradation. However, governance remains a challenge due to poor application of principles and diverse interests of stakeholders. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the application of principles and challenges of governance in FPD in Ghana as a complex system. The study gathered primary data through questionnaires and structured interviews from a sample of 253 stakeholders, with three expert group discussions. The study area was eight forest districts in the ecological transition zone of Ghana. The results confirmed that strong interconnectivity of the governance principles ensures high stakeholder satisfaction as an expected outcome of governance in FPD. However, transparency, participation, consensus building, accountability and rule of law were weak in FPD due to limited consultation of stakeholders in planning and decision making processes at all levels. Direction was the highest applied governance principle for all stakeholders as a result of high commitment and support for the continuity of the FPD programme. The study recommends that government ensures that the tenets of good governance principles permeate the whole FPD governance system, and promote networks and partnerships amongst stakeholders, forming a comprehensive communication platform for stakeholder interactions with the areas of connectivity.

Source: UCC
Governance, financial control and financial irregularities in senior high schools in Ghana

The Attorney General (AG)‘s report on pre-university educational institutions for the years 2010 to 2014 indicates that there is increase in financial irregularities in secondary schools in Ghana. Hence, this study sought to establish the relationship between governance, financial controls, and financial irregularity in Senior High Schools in Ghana. The study employed correlational survey design. The study population consisted of 93 Senior High/ Technical Schools in the Eastern Region of Ghana. A census of 93 schools was conducted to gather data for the analysis. In addition, secondary data from published AG‘s reports on pre-university eductional institutions for the years 2010 to 2013 was used as the dependent variable (financial irregularities). Correlation analysis, and ordinary least squares regression (OLS) analysis were employed as analysis techniques. The results showed that there was significant correlation between school governance (board size, r=.181; sex ratio on board, r=-.202; religiosity of board chair, rbi =-.153, existence of implementation committee, rbi =-.321 and experience of head teacher, r=-.131) and financial irregularities. Similarly, there were significant correlations between three aspects of financial control (use of accounting software, rbi =-.222; who is responsible for budget preparation, rbi=-.162 and stakeholders‘ involvement in budget preparation, rbi = -.292) and financial irregularities. The regression analysis showed that two aspects of school governance (gender of headmaster and board size) and financial controls (accounting software) accounted for 30.3% of cash irregularities. Also, the OLS regression model showed that only one aspect of school governance (board size) explained 25% of the variance in the overall financial irregularities. It is recommended among other things, that more matured and experienced ones should be appointed as heads of institutions.

Source: UCC
Governance, Financial Control And Financial Irregularities In Senior High Schools In Ghana

The Attorney General (AG)�s report on pre-university educational institutions for the years 2010 to 2014 indicates that there is increase in financial irregularities in secondary schools in Ghana. Hence, this study sought to establish the relationship between governance, financial controls, and financial irregularity in Senior High Schools in Ghana. The study employed correlational survey design. The study population consisted of 93 Senior High/ Technical Schools in the Eastern Region of Ghana. A census of 93 schools was conducted to gather data for the analysis. In addition, secondary data from published AG�s reports on pre-university eductional institutions for the years 2010 to 2013 was used as the dependent variable (financial irregularities). Correlation analysis, and ordinary least squares regression (OLS) analysis were employed as analysis techniques. The results showed that there was significant correlation between school governance (board size, r=.181; sex ratio on board, r=-.202; religiosity of board chair, rbi =-.153, existence of implementation committee, rbi =-.321 and experience of head teacher, r=-.131) and financial irregularities. Similarly, there were significant correlations between three aspects of financial control (use of accounting software, rbi =-.222; who is responsible for budget preparation, rbi=-.162 and stakeholders� involvement in budget preparation, rbi = -.292) and financial irregularities. The regression analysis showed that two aspects of school governance (gender of headmaster and board size) and financial controls (accounting software) accounted for 30.3% of cash irregularities. Also, the OLS regression model showed that only one aspect of school governance (board size) explained 25% of the variance in the overall financial irregularities. It is recommended among other things, that more matured and experienced ones should be appointed as heads of institutions.

Source: UCC
Governing Council and Teaching Performance of Public Universities in Ghana

Universities play a critical role in socio-economic development, particularly of emerging economies. This role has added new challenges for higher education management. These challenges have increased pressure on university governing councils to develop innovative governance models and management systems to ensure institutional efficiency and effectiveness. Given the pivotal role the council plays in university performance, the present study was conducted to explore how the operations of governing councils of public universities in Ghana are helping to promote teaching performance, a core mandate of universities. The study employed a mixed-methods research approach using a concurrent exploratory design. Document analysis, interviews, and surveys were the methods used. A survey was conducted to solicit the views of a cross-section of the full-time staff on the operations of the governing council. The study found that the universities have well-structured and functional governing councils. The council of each public university also has an internal mechanism to assess the performance of staff and students. The council also has an effective committee system to assist in its operations. However, the council‟s meetings, to a large extent, are spent on government policies, rules, and regulations as against the university's teaching and research agenda. The study recommends that the governance structures of the public universities in Ghana must be maintained and strengthened to ensure continuous provision of good governance in the respective institutions.

Source: UCC
Government Bureaucracy and Quality Public Service Delivery at Twifo Atti-Mokwa District Assembly: The Moderating Role of Work Environment

This study aims to analyze the relationship between government bureaucracy and the quality of public services provided by the Twifo Atti Mokwa District Assembly, specifically examining how the work environment acts as a moderator. The study's objectives were to examine how government bureaucracy at the Twifo Atti-Mokwa District Assembly in Ghana affects public service delivery, how the work environment affects public service delivery, and how the work environment moderates the relationship between government bureaucracy and public service delivery. Research in this area is based on positivist principles. An explanatory research design and quantitative methodology were used in the study. The study sample was obtained using census techniques. Data was collected using questionnaires. The population for the study was 247 employees, however, a total of 232 employees (93.9%) completed the survey. Data was gathered and analyzed using structural equation modeling (PLS SEM) and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The study demonstrated that bureaucratic aspects of government significantly impacted the provision of high-quality public services. Quality public service delivery is positively impacted by work environment, as shown in the second aim. The result of the study also showed that work environment moderates the association between government bureaucracy and quality public service delivery. Based on the findings of the research, it was recommended that the government take efforts to change how labour is allocated within the public service sector in Ghana (Twifo Atti-Morkwa District Assembly). Specifically, the existing division of work model does not seem to significantly improve service delivery quality as hypothesised.

Source: UCC
Government Domestic Debt Arrears. Private Investment And Financial Stability Gap In Sub-Saharan Africa

The relevance of the private sector in the overall growth of economies in subSaharan Africa (SSA) draws attention to the elements that aid its grov.rth. Provision of credit is of much interest to the government and the private sector since thei r i nvestll1ent acti vi ties mostly depend on the quantity available. As more credit is given to one of the sectors less will be available to the other. Therefore , defaults on the side of one sector is likely to influence activities in the other sector as well as the operations of the tinancial institutions from vvhich the credits are sourced. This explains the fact that there exists a competition for the credits provided by domestic financial institutions. Considering the contributions of financial institutions and the activities of the pri vate sector in achieving overall economic growth as a basic macroeconomic objective. the relationships betvveen the aforementioned variables are worth investigating. This thesis. addresses three main themes: (a) examining the effect of government domestic debt arrears on private investment; (b) estimating and explaining the gap in financial stability in SSA; and (c) determining the effect of financial stability gap on private investment. These were achieved using the system General Methods of Moments, Impulse Response Functions. the Stochastic Frontier Analysis and the Fixed and Random Effect estimation teclmiques. The study revealed that govenunent domestic debt arrears negatively affect private investment in SSA and the subregional communities. The estimated gaps indicate that there are differences in financial stability gaps among SSA countries. Further, tinancial stability gap beyond a threshold or 109.9 percent is found to be detrimental to private investment in SSA.

Source: UCC
Government Domestic Debt Arrears. Private Investment And Financial Stability Gap In Sub-Saharan Africa

The relevance of the private sector in the overall growth of economies in subSaharan Africa (SSA) draws attention to the elements that aid its grov.rth. Provision of credit is of much interest to the government and the private sector since their in vestment acti vities mostly depend on the quantity available. As more credit is given to one of the sectors less will be available to the other. Therefore , defaults on the side of one sector is likely to influence activities in the other sector as well as the operations of the tinancial institutions from vvhich the credits are sourced. This explains the fact that there exists a competition for the credits provided by domestic financial institutions. Considering the contributions o/" financial institutions and the activities of the pri vate sector in achieving overal l economic growth as a basic macroeconomic objecti ve. the relationships between the aforementioned variables are worth investigating. This thesis. addresses three main themes: (a) examining the effect of government domestic debt arrears on private investment; (b) estimating and explain ing the gap in financial stability in SSA; and (c) determining the effect of financial stability gap on private investment. These were achieved using the system General Methods of Moments, Impulse Response Functions. the Stochastic Frontier Analysis and the Fixed and Random Effect estimation techniques. The study revealed that govenunent domestic debt arrears negatively affect private investment in SSA and the subregional communities. The estimated gaps indicate that there are differences in financial stability gaps among SSA countries. Further, financial stability gap beyond a threshold o/" 109.9 percent is found to be detrimental to private investment in SSA.

Source: UCC
Government Expenditure and Economic Growth in Ghana

The study investigated the relationship between government expenditure and economic growth in Ghana. It considered both aggregated and disaggregated government expenditure. Annual time series data from 1985 to 2012 was employed for the aggregated analysis while at the disaggregated level, annual time series data from 1985-2010 was employed due to data constraint. The study resorted to the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) technique and cointegration among the variables was established within the framework of autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL). A piece-wise linear regression was used to examine the possibility of government expenditure threshold. The results of the ARDL indicated that aggregate government expenditure negatively affects growth in the long run but positive in the short run. According to the Granger causality test the study found that there is a unidirectional causality running from economic growth to government expenditure, which supports Wagner’s Law. The results based on the disaggregated analysis point to the fact that capital expenditures promote economic growth whiles recurrent expenditures retard growth in Ghana. The study also found the existence of government expenditure threshold. Based on these findings the following policy recommendations are suggested: the government must restructure its expenditures by cutting down its recurrent expenditures while increasing capital expenditures. However, increase in government expenditure must be done cautiously as excessive increase will deter economic growth in the long run.

Source: UCC
Government integrity, government size and capital flight in Sub-Saharan Africa

The study examines the effects of government integrity and government size on capital flight in Sub-Saharan Africa. It also examines the joint effect of government integrity and government size on capital flight, paying particular attention to how the effects differ across different income groups in Sub-Sa-haran Africa. The study employs three different estimation techniques namely Pooled Mean Group, Mean Group and Dynamic Fixed Effect to analyse a panel data of 20 SSA countries from 1996 to 2015. The study finds that a percentage increase in government integrity reduces capital flight by at least 0.0173 percent and 0.0153 percent in the long and short-run respectively. A percentage increase in tax burden is also found to increase capital flight by at least 0.0390 percent in the long run. The joint effect of government integrity and government spend-ing increases capital flight by 0.0065 percent, whereas the same effect of gov-ernment integrity and tax burden induces capital flight by 0.0407 percent in the long run. In upper income countries, government integrity is found to signifi-cantly reduce capital flight by 0.115 percent in the long run but the same effect is insignificant in both lower and lower middle income countries. However, tax burden increases capital flight by 0.0395 percent, 0.135 percent and 0.151 per-cent for the lower, lower middle and upper income groups respectively in the long run. The study recommends that governments of Sub-Saharan African countries should intensify campaigns in favour of anticorruption measures so as to help improve integrity of governments especially as countries transit from lower income status into upper income status. Tax burdens on local investors irrespective of the income groups of countries should be reduced to help mini-mise capital flight from the region.

Source: UCC
Government Spending, Institutional Quality and Income Inequality in Ecowas

The study investigates the effect of government spending and institutional quality on income inequality for the period 1990 to 2019 using unbalanced panel data from 13 selected ECOWAS member countries. The results revealed that the effect of government final consumption expenditure on income inequality is negative and statistically significant suggesting that government final expenditure reduces income inequality in ECOWAS member states. Also, the study found both the coefficients of expenditure on education and health to be negative and significant. However, it was shown that expenditure on health was more effective than expenditure on education in regulating income inequality. Again, institutional quality has a significant positive effect on income inequality for both the fixed effect estimator and the system GMM estimator. In light of these findings, the study recommends allocating a higher share of the budget to health and education, as disaggregated government spending, particularly in these sectors, has proven to be more effective in reducing income inequality. Furthermore, the study recommends prioritizing institutional reforms, focusing on enhancing corruption control and ensuring strict adherence to the rule of law. Additionally, policymakers are urged to implement measures to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) responsibly, ensuring a balance between increasing foreign capital inflows and protecting labour-intensive industries. This approach safeguards against the displacement of local industries by foreign investments, promoting sustained access to productive resources for citizens

Source: UCC
Government Spending, Integrity and Public Debt in Sub saharan Africa

ABSTRACT The rising public debt level in sub-Saharan Africa and the sustainability of that debt remains an important research agenda. Given the raising concerns of fiscal sustainability and increases in debt burdens in sub-Saharan Africa, this study aims to determine the effect of government spending and government integrity on debt to-GDP ratio in SSA. The study used panel data of SSA countries over the period 2005 – 2019 and employs GMM estimation model in analysing the findings of the study. The study found that government spending has a significant positive effect on debt-to-GDP ratio. The study also found that government integrity also has a significant and positive effect on debt-to-GDP ratio. The study provided evidence that government integrity reduces the effect of government spending on debt-to GDP ratio in sub-Saharan Africa. The study therefore, recommends that the borrowed funds by governments should productively be spent on development or capital expenditures in order to regenerate more revenue and achieve growth. Hence policy makers and government agencies in the region should ensure that their government spend within their means. Government are encouraged to restructure their spending from corruption-prone investments to the ones that can be properly managed and monitored. Therefore, governments should pledge to be accountable by frequently making available to the public information on fiscal deficits, government’s borrowing and debt management

Source: UCC
The Governmentality of journalism education in Ghana

This study evaluates the role of two state regulatory regimes in shaping journalism education at a public university in Ghana. Focusing on the mandates of the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) and the National Accreditation Board (NAB), the work demonstrates how these institutions monitor, evaluate and shape the curriculum of the undergraduate program in communication studies at the University of Cape Coast. Based on Foucault’s concept of governmentality, the paper shows that the journalism program designed by both faculty and state regulatory regimes for the University of Cape Coast, as in many other universities in sub-Saharan Africa, is still primarily focused on media-centric, developmentalist and instrumentalist approaches, and pays little attention to critical theory and transcultural aesthetics. The fusion of these theoretical perspectives into the communication education curriculum is crucial for empowering students to unmask practices that perpetuate social inequality, dominance, power asymmetry and hegemony in society in order to transform it in positive ways

Source: UCC