Presidency to coordinate new anti-corruption strategy via PANACP – Julius Debrah

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has announced that Ghana’s next National Anti-Corruption Strategy will be coordinated from the Office of the Presidential Advisor on the National Anti-Corruption Programme (PANACP), working closely with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration).

Speaking at the inauguration of a working group tasked with developing the new strategy, Mr Debrah said this coordination structure will enable President John Dramani Mahama to track implementation progress and ensure that the programme delivers on its mandate.

“The National Anti-Corruption Strategy will be coordinated from the Office of the Presidential Advisor, National Anti-Corruption Programme (PANACP), working closely with my office through the Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration),” he stated.

He explained that the office will also collaborate closely with key implementing partners, including the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to tackle corruption effectively.

Mr Debrah acknowledged the achievements of the previous National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP), which was passed in 2014 during President Mahama’s earlier administration. He cited increased public awareness, digitisation of financial services, and enhanced anti-money laundering frameworks as positive outcomes of the NACAP.

Despite these gains, he noted that Ghana’s performance on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) had declined from 48% in 2014 to a historic low of 42% by 2024, the final year of NACAP’s implementation. He charged the new working group to reverse this trend.

“Clearly, one could argue that NACAP has not performed too well when it comes to the actual reduction of corruption in our country,” he said. “We have to reverse this trend, and I charge this group to ensure that the strategy does precisely that.”

Describing the fight against corruption as a key pillar of President Mahama’s legacy term, the Chief of Staff said the new strategy must reflect the complexities of modern corruption, calling for “a sophisticated approach, strong political will, independent institutions, and outside-the-box thinking.”

He stressed the importance of ethics in the strategy’s design, saying: “Ethics must be a key pillar in the development of the next National Anti-Corruption Strategy because corruption is first and foremost a morale issue before legal.”

Mr Debrah praised CHRAJ for its role in coordinating the previous plan and pledged continued support from the Office of the President in promoting human rights and administrative justice.

He tasked the working group to deliver a draft strategy by 31st August 2025, assuring them of government support despite current financial constraints.

“We have confidence in the technical expertise of the team assembled to deliver our next anti-corruption strategy. We therefore expect nothing less than your fullest commitment to the cause,” he said. “However, we also expect prudence from the team, as you are all aware of the current financial difficulty facing the country.”