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This is captured in a newspaper report by the Daily Graphic dated July 28, 2023.
The primary objective of this bill, according to the report, is to amend the existing Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720) to enhance the funding sources for the Whistleblower Reward Fund.
The Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister of Justice, Godfred Dame, laid the bill before parliament on March 7, 2023, and it was subsequently referred to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs for a thorough evaluation.
The Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720), was enacted to incentivize and establish robust structures to strengthen Ghana’s ability to combat corruption and other illicit practices that hinder sustainable development efforts.
One of the key sections of Act 720, Section 20, is what captures the Whistleblower Reward Fund.
It relied on voluntary contributions and budgetary allocations from Parliament as its primary funding sources.
However, the Committee on Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs, led by Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, in its report submitted to the House prior to the bill’s passage, noted certain shortcomings that needed to be addressed.
One major concern was the possibility of delays in releasing approved budgetary funds into the Whistleblower Reward Fund, which could affect the prompt payment of rewards to whistleblowers.
Additionally, Act 720 lacked clarity on the timeframe within which whistleblowers should receive their rewards for their efforts leading to the successful recovery of money or proceeds obtained from the sale of confiscated assets.
“The amendments proposed are, therefore, meant to cure the shortcomings in Act 720 by reducing over-reliance on budgetary allocations as the main sources of revenue into the Whistleblower Reward Fund and to also provide for timeliness for payment of the rewards to successful whistleblowers,” it said.
To rectify these issues, the proposed amendments aim to reduce reliance on budgetary allocations as the primary revenue source for the Whistleblower Reward Fund. This shift intends to ensure the timely payment of rewards to successful whistleblowers, thereby preventing demotivation due to delays.
The committee underscored the vital need to protect the identities of whistleblowers to shield them from potential hunts by powerful individuals in society.
Robust whistleblower protection mechanisms are crucial to encourage citizens to report misconduct, promote public accountability, and uphold integrity.
As part of the approved amendment, individuals and institutions receiving disclosures of impropriety, as per Section 3 of Act 720, are urged to maintain the utmost confidentiality and implement stringent protective measures to safeguard the whistleblowers’ identities.
The report further emphasized that motivating individuals to expose wrongdoing in both private and public sectors play a pivotal role in combating fraud, corruption, and unethical behavior.
Hence, continuous review and improvement of policies and legal frameworks that incentivize and protect patriotic individuals providing information on misconduct are essential.
The proposed amendment is seen as a crucial step in strengthening national efforts to combat corruption and reinforces the country’s commitment to promoting a culture of transparency and accountability.
Source: ghanaweb.com
