More than 70 per cent of the Ghanaians believe that the political system offers little or no space to influence decisions-making in governance, the maiden Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) Governance Series Wave 1 Report for 2024, has revealed.
Also the report said nearly 1 in 6 citizens interviewed covering 18.4 per cent of respondents who interacted with public officials in 2024 gave a gift as a form of bribery, mostly in the form of money, to access services.
The survey which was done last year covered 7,248 respondents across all 16 regions of Ghana through a Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CAPI) method, captured experiences and perceptions related to corruption, inclusiveness, responsiveness, and citizen participation in governance over the period of January to December 2024.
It said bribery was more common among males (68.3 per cent) than females (31.7 per cent), and urban residents (64.3 per cent) than rural dwellers (35.7 per cent).
Approximately 1 in 5 individuals (21.1 per cent ) living with disabilities, the survey said reported giving gifts as bribery, with significantly higher rates among those with physical impairments (40.1 per cent) and visually impaired (32.5 per cent).
At the regional level, Greater Accra (22.0 per cent) and Ashanti (18.1 per cent) all together 40.1 per cent recorded the highest incidences of gift-giving, while Savannah (with 1.0 per cent) and North East (1.1 per cent) reported the lowest.
Speaking at the launch of the report in Accra yesterday, the Government Statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu said ‘The Governance Series – Wave 1’ survey’ was a nationally representative survey designed to track the population’s perception of the inclusiveness and responsiveness in the country.
He explained inclusiveness as “having a say in what government does, having a charcoal to express one’s demands, opinions or preferences about what government does, and feeling listened to,” responsiveness as “having an influence on policies, feeling that decision-makers listen to and act one’s demands, opinions or preferences.”
Dr Iddrisu said, the survey, the first of similar ones to be done every six months with the same respondents, was aimed at deepening the country’s collective understanding of governance from the perspective of the citizens.
“This report is far more than a collection of statistics. It stands as a testament to our unwavering conviction that good governance must be anchored in the voices of the people. It is a powerful reminder that meaningful policy reform can only be achieved when it is grounded in evidence that is robust, inclusive, and truly representative of the diverse experiences of our citizens,” the Government Statistician, said.
Dr Iddrisu said the survey reaffirmed the commitment of GSS in driving Ghana’s Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) agenda with credible and disaggregated data.
“As we prepare for Ghana’s 3rd Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the SDGs this July, this data will also serve as a vital benchmark for assessing performance under SDG Indicator 16.5.1 which relates to bribery prevalence and 16.7.2 which relates to inclusiveness and responsiveness in decision making,” he said.
The Senior Advisor to the President on SDGs, and Chairman of the National Planning Development Commission, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, who chaired the programme, said the report was timely as it dealt with the nagging issues of governance and corruption.
He said the report painted a disturbing portrait of a disillusioned public that felt let out of the governance process.
Dr Thompson stressed the need for corruption to be nipped in the bud, saying “No country has been able to develop without slaying the monster of corruption.”
The country’s Development Partners and the Ghana Integrity Initiative in fraternal messages commended the GSS for the developing the report.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
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