Publication: Governance Newsletters

The political terrain in Ghana is patently underscored by Executive dominance resulting in an acrimonious battle to capture this ultimate prize. Hence, a cry against “winner-takes-all”, a quest for a “power-sharing” or proportional representation to esnure all-inclusiveness and diminish unbridled partisanship. This presentation, while recognizing these alternatives, takes the viewpoint that the essence of our…

The growing sophistication of economic and organised crime in Ghana, particularly those relating to money laundering, financial loss to the state and cyber fraud poses a critical challenge to the country. The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) was established in 2010 to monitor and investigate such crimes, and on the authority of the Attorney-General,…

More than a decade after the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, women’s leadership and participation in peace building around the world is yet to be fully recognized. Yet women’s leadership and participation in addressing peace and security is both a moral imperative and a right which goes beyond them being considered…

The ”representativeness” of institutions of political representation in gender terms have featured in a number of studies. The base argument is that Parliament should be a microcosm of the nation as a whole. Hamilton opined: ”it is said to be necessary that all classes of citizens should have some of their own numbers in the…

The importance of women’s participation in national governance has been established at the highest level of international policy on human rights, equality and equity. In African democracies, the case for women’s participation has gained further momentum, as women’s participation in politics and governance has been recognized as an indicator of democratic governance. Yet, in the…

This paper reviews the anti-corruption reforms pursued by three key donors in Ghana: the World Bank, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development and the United States Agency for International Development. The extent to which the anti-corruption efforts of these donors are undercut by China’s emerging influence as an alternative source of development assistance with…

When Ghana’s first mining-specific legislation, PNDC Law 153, was enacted in 1986, the law was heralded as a shining example of best practice by many. The legislation sought to provide a stable policy environment in addition to significant financial incentives, as a means of encouraging investment. The replacement of the 1986 law with the Minerals…

Ghana’s recent discovery of oil and the anticipated petroleum revenue flows has raised expectations about the future economic development of the country. Yet Ghana’s poor record in the area of public financial management, as demonstrated by many of the Auditor-General’s reports, raises serious doubts about the ability of government revenues to be used effectively. One…

Conflicts of interest in public office, and how to regulate them, are issues all countries face. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of Ghana’s current system for managing conflicts of interest. First, the legal framework, together with the mandate, independence and enforcement capacities of institutions charged with addressing conflicts of interest, are examined. Next, drawing on…

The Presidential Transition Bill provides a framework for managing the political transfer of power from an out-going democratically elected President to an incoming President. This article evaluates key attributes of the proposed legislation. First, it examines the accountability provisions in the Bill which includes a detailed inventory of executive assets. Second, the institutional framework introduced…