GACC urges Parliament to pass long-delayed conduct of public officers’ bill

The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) is urging Ghana’s Parliament to expedite the passage of the Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill, which has been before the House since 2008.

The bill seeks to regulate conflict of interest and make the country’s assets declaration regime more transparent. First proposed in 2008, it has undergone various revisions in 2015, 2018 and 2022, but its passage has been delayed, with resistance even reported at the cabinet level.

The latest attempt to revive the bill in December 2025 failed.

“Parliament should fast-track passage of the draft CoPO bill to ensure a comprehensive asset declaration and verification regime; make asset declarations public, digitised and subject to independent verification and sanctions for false declarations,” the GACC said in a recommendation contained in its State of Corruption Report 2025.

This is the third consecutive time the GACC report has called for the passage of the Conduct of Public Officers' Bill since its maiden edition was launched in 2023.

The State of Corruption Report assesses corruption and anti-corruption efforts in Ghana, examines actions taken by state and non-state actors, evaluates progress against agreed recommendations, and identifies gaps within Ghana’s governance and accountability architecture. The report also highlights progress, stagnation, and regression in Ghana’s fight against corruption.  

The 2025 report says that the state anti-corruption institutions, including the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, and the Audit Service, have carried out their mandate effectively.

The GACC says that some investigations into high-profile corruption cases by state agencies have been brought to the fore by non-state actors, including the GACC, TI-Ghana, CDD-Ghana, and the Media Foundation for West Africa.

The GACC has observed that despite the "awareness creation, capacity building, investigations, and asset recovery improved in 2025, these gains have not yet translated into a decisive reduction in corruption risks or a significant shift in public perception.”

“Ghana’s governance systems remain vulnerable, and corruption continues to demonstrate resilience in the face of existing controls,” the report says.

It also says that stronger investigations and asset recoveries, while important, have yet to produce a significant change in public perceptions of corruption.