Ghana Loses $3 Billion Annually to Corruption
Ghana loses an estimated US$3 billion annually to corruption—an amount twice the nation’s yearly foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow of US$1.5 billion.
This alarming revelation was made by the President of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), Beauty Nartey, during the launch of the Strengthening the Rule of Law and Fight Against Corruption in Ghana project.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Nartey stated, “What comes into our country as support is only about half of what we lose to corruption. So one may ask why we are not putting more effort into preventing the loss of such a staggering amount.”
She emphasised that the country should focus less on aid and more on preventing corruption to free up resources for development, especially in light of recent aid cuts from the United States.
Mrs Nartey warned that corruption remains a significant obstacle to Ghana’s socio-economic progress and efforts to eradicate poverty. She called for harsher penalties and more effective enforcement mechanisms to deter corrupt practices.
“We cannot continue paying lip service to the fight against corruption,” she said. “Stronger collaboration is needed between key institutions such as the Auditor-General’s Department, EOCO, the Attorney-General’s Department, and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).”
She also urged the government to adopt the proposed Illicit Enrichment Law, which the GACC sees as a crucial legislative tool in addressing unexplained wealth.
The anti-corruption project launched in Accra forms part of the Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) programme, commissioned by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-funded by the European Union.
The €12.7 million initiative is being implemented by GIZ Ghana in partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Finance and aims to:
Build the capacity of public bodies such as OSP, EOCO and CHRAJ, empower Civil Society provide training and funding for advocacy and watchdog efforts, Promote Digitalisation and improve data-sharing, transparency, and service delivery
Astrid Kohl, Programme Director for PAIReD, said the goal is to make public finance more transparent, citizen-focused, and gender and climate-responsive across both national and local levels.
Ghana’s scores on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) have consistently remained below the global average of 50, signalling widespread dissatisfaction with government accountability.
Mrs Nartey noted that key state institutions—including the police, parliament, tax authorities, and even the presidency—are frequently cited by the public as being among the most corrupt. This erodes trust and hampers reform efforts.
To combat corruption effectively, Mrs Nartey outlined a three-fold strategy for the general public:
- Resist corrupt practices
- Reject inducements that compromise integrity
- Report corruption to the appropriate authorities
“Every citizen has a role to play. Building a culture of accountability starts with each of us,” she concluded.
The event was attended by representatives from government, civil society, donor agencies, EU member states, and the media—reaffirming the shared commitment to combat corruption and strengthen Ghana’s democratic institutions.
