“Government Urged to Establish and Fund Whistleblower Reward Scheme to Boost Corruption Fight – GII”
- GII calls for establishment of Whistleblower Reward Fund.
- GII urges public education on whistleblower law.
- Fear of retribution hinders corruption reporting.
- GII encourages citizens to report corruption.
The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the national chapter of Transparency International (TI), has urged the government to establish and resource the Whistleblower Reward Fund as stipulated in the Whistleblower (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Act 1103). The GII also called for increased public education on the law to encourage victims and witnesses of corruption to report corruption.
Public entities such as the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) and Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), as well as civil society organizations (CSOs), must also increase public awareness among citizens about the provisions of the laws. This will empower citizens to report corruption and fulfill their civic responsibility.
The GII made this call in a statement on the occasion of the 8th Africa Union Anti-Corruption Day, celebrated annually on July 11. This year’s theme is “Effective Whistle-blowers Protection Mechanism: A Critical Tool in the Fight Against Corruption.”
Ghana passed the Whistleblower Act in 2006 (Act 720), which provides legal protections and incentives to persons who report corrupt practices and other illicit activities. The Act empowers victims and witnesses of corruption to disclose information about observed corrupt or unlawful activities and offers protection and rewards to whistleblowers.
Despite legislation passed on whistleblower protection, the 2019 Global Corruption Barometer survey reports fear of retribution among citizens, leading to low corruption reporting in the country. The GII urges citizens to renounce, reject, and report corruption to promote national development.
