The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has observed that loss-incurring public institutions that regulate their operations tend to shift the financial strains to them.

According to Regional Manager of AGI, Thompson Apam Atibila, such institutions, perceived as corrupt, utilise opaque regulations that intimidate businesses to comply without questioning.

The association is calling for transparency in the implementation of laws to tackle corruption in trade and businesses in Ghana.

The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition’s analysis of Ghana’s score on the Corruption Perception Index has shown that Ghana’s fight against corruption has stagnated over the past four years.

The country’s scores have generally stayed below the 50% mark since 2012.

This has influenced an anti-corruption initiative for enhancing governance and accountability workshops in Kumasi.

Assessing Ghana’s corruption crises from the lens of trade and business, Mr Atibila noted that unclear laws enable officials to evade accountability through intimidation.

The AGI leader is urging clearer law education and communication reforms to ensure transparency and curb corrupt practices business operators are compelled to engage in.

“It seems the laws have been given a shield and set to be used by a few to intimidate and escape accountability. When we clear our goods from Tema, we pay more than our counterparts in Takoradi and around Tema because there are customs barriers that charge us extra on the road. And this is something we have never understood. Businesses don't know what laws or regulations permit that, but we are compelled because we don't want to offend and prolong our operations,” he said.

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy, in collaboration with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition and Transparency International Ghana, organised and executed the forum to assess Ghana’s anti-corruption endeavours.

It engaged CSO Coalitions, trade unions, and pressure groups to support anti-corruption actions

Thompson Apam Atibila indicated that the ripple effect of corruption is also borne by businesses as loss-incurring public institutions shift the burden through tariffs.

“This is just an example of the things in law to understand to curb corruption in Ghana. Corruption impacts our businesses also because, when the public institutions which are our regulators are involved in corruption, they push the burden to us. Imagine a public insurance incurring losses, like ECG. They would rather shift the burden on us,” he said.

Meanwhile, President of the Federation of Kumasi Traders, Nana Akwasi Prempeh, says the persisting corruption landscape is deepening marginalisation in access to economic and social services.

He advocated for the heightening of public awareness among grassroots populations.

“We in the informal sector encounter a lot of challenges that push us to pay extra or indulge in illicit activities. I entreat that the state agencies and the systems they put in place to curtail corruption will prevail. Most of us feel the marginalisation; those in the upper class are given preferential treatment.

“And when those in the lower class want to access the same services, there is always a struggle that pushes them to pay bribes or engage in corruption. Also, a lot of us are not aware of what entails corruption, and it has become a norm. Sensitisation should be brought to the local level. And engage the very grassroots the laws are meant to protect. And we will be able to mitigate corruption,” he said.

Stakeholders engaged in a forward-looking dialogue needed to translate political commitments into long-term structural reforms.