GACC says delays in disbursement of funds for major developmental works is a major source of worry to Ghanaians

The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, GACC, has called on government to inform Ghanaians on the current status of the recoveries of judgment debts wrongfully paid to some organisations and individuals.

This is in a statement ahead of this year's United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day, IACD, which falls on the 9th of this month.

The Coalition says, in the first quarter of this year, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, assured Parliament that her office had taken steps to enforce the Supreme Court judgment which ordered the state to retrieve some judgment debts wrongfully paid to some individuals and organisations in a suit filed by former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Martin Amidu.

It says though judgment debt payments are not a new phenomenon anywhere in the world, the huge sums of money lost in the payments of avoidable judgment debts are of grave concern to Ghanaians especially when governments are not able to provide quality basic public services as a result of inadequate funds. Most appalling according to the statement is the alleged connivance and instances negligence of public officers that led to the award of these judgment debts against the state.

The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition Linda Ofori-Kwafo says institutions perceived to be corrupt in the various surveys conducted should not be dismissed.

She said such institutions should rather see the survey as a challenge and rise up to inspire confidence in the citizens

The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, GACC, says government should act promptly to ensure timely completion of all development projects to enable citizens to derive full benefits from it.

This followed the outcome of a project dubbed Local Accountability Network, LANETS which seeks to ensure transparency in the execution of government projects.

It is being piloted in the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality and Bibiani-Anhiawso- Bekwai District in the Western Region. 

It is under the Local Government and Decentralisation Programme and funded by USAID.

Speaking at a media briefing in Accra, the Communications Officer of GACC, Mrs Beauty Emefa Narteh, said delays in the disbursement of funds for major developmental works is a major source of worry to the people.

She has therefore challenged Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies, MMDAs to be proactive and adopt innovative ways of generating funds and not to rely solely on central government

GBc