By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Tamale, Dec 11, GNA - The Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), a civil society organisation (CSO), has recommended the use of social accountability mechanisms to help the country make headway in her response against corruption.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by Mr Mohammed Musah, Project Officer, Economic Governance Project, under the Empowerment for Life Programme of the GDCA and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Tamale to commemorate International Anti-corruption Day.
The International Anti-corruption Day is marked on December 09, every year since the passage of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption on October 31, 2003, to raise public awareness on anti-corruption.
A recent Afro barometer survey revealed that corruption worsened in the country compared to previous years.
The statement said the use of social accountability mechanisms ensured popular participation, transparency, accountability and local government performance, which was effective in promoting good governance and minimising corruption.
It said “On our part as a CSO, GDCA has largely operated in the local government space with social accountability mechanisms to increase popular participation, transparency, accountability and local government performance”.
It said “Recognising the fact that traditional accountability mechanisms, which concentrate on the “supply side” of governance, have failed to deliver results in promoting good governance and minimising corruption, the use of social accountability approaches has become quite fitting”.
The statement said GDCA’s “Economic Governance Activities of the Empowerment for Life Programme applies social accountability tools in checking corruption in capital project contracting and contractor selection processes and in internal revenue generation and utilisation by the District Assemblies”.
It said “With the use of Social Audits, Oversight Committees, and Community Scorecards and Town-hall Meetings, citizens are offered the opportunity to monitor the execution of capital projects by the District Assemblies. Quality and value for money issues of the capital projects are raised directly by project beneficiary communities for redress by duty-bearers”.
It said through the Community Scorecards, citizens were able to score the District Assemblies in terms of their compliance with the procurement law and the directives of the Public Procurement Authority.
It said “Our intervention has not only increased transparency and accountability in the utilisation of District Assembly revenue, but has also reduced likelihood of corruption, through citizens’ oversight of capital projects, and has increased value for money at the local level”.
The statement added that “The various contractors, being aware that their work is monitored by citizens, have been mindful or sometimes compelled to adhere to project specifications and quality standards”.
It said “Our use of social accountability mechanisms gives a lot of hope to the fight against corruption, given the poor track record of traditional anti-corruption initiatives”.
GNA
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