By Wayo Rosemary/Yelmaan Antieme Patricia, GNA
Tamale, Dec 07, GNA – Alhaji Abdul Razak Saani, Northern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has urged both the public and private institutions to work together to fight corruption to improve their operations.
He observed that corruption was the biggest challenge businesses faced in the country, a situation that negatively affected their operations.
Alhaji Saani made the call at a regional multi-stakeholder business integrity forum in Tamale, organized by the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, to deliberate on challenges faced by the private sector in doing business in the country.
The two-day event held on the theme: « Promoting Good Business Environment through Ethics, Integrity and Accountability, » was attended by private businesses to share and learn from other companies’ anti-bribery policies that promoted transparent and accountable business practices.
Alhaji Saani said there was need for citizens to understand that fighting corruption was the responsibility of all, adding, they needed to take actions in that regard for the development of the country.
Mrs Linda Ofori-kwafo, the Executive Director of GII, whose speech was read on her behalf by Mr Michael Henchard Okai, Project Coordinator of GII, said « Among all constraints, corruption is the worst threat to the businesses operating in our economy; therefore, tackling it will require the engagement of multiple stakeholders for results. »
Mrs Ofori-kwafo said the private sector was known to generate a huge proportion of jobs, fund most of the business investments and provide a notable percentage of government revenues through taxes and as such needed attention.
Bagzaa Naa Alhassan Issahaku Amadu, a Gender, Health and Development Advocate, called on duty-bearers to be accountable to the people to help in the fight against corruption in the country, urging the citizenry to demand transparency in governance.
He advised the youth to work towards creating their own business since the public sector was choked, urging them to do their own businesses devoid of corrupt acts to sustain the economy.
GNA
CAE/DSA
