The Citizen Movement Against Corruption (CMAC) in collaboration with the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has held a capacity building workshop aimed at promoting citizen participation, service delivery and improving revenue mobilization. The workshop, dubbed: Public Sector Watch Initiative (PSWI) was held in Accra on Friday 11th October 2019. This forms part of activities under the CMAC “Economic Rights Advocacy to Reduce Corruption Project” supported by STAR Ghana Foundation with funding from the UKAID, EU and DANIDA. The purpose of the workshop was to imbibe participation as a key function of increased revenue mobilization among key stakeholders.
Colonel Kwadwo Damoah (Rtd), Acting Commissioner, Customs Division – GRA, indicated his interest and appreciation of the event and urged participants to see the challenge of revenue collection as a collective responsibility:
“… we are in this fight together, we need to understand issues involved, we need to get the cooperation and assistance of everyone and we need to have a clear direction that in indeed! this is a very important assignment for all of us. We are not to look at any one particular group, but we are all to look at it (tax evasion) as a social menace that requires cooperative effort from all stakeholders.”
Col. Damoah(Rtd) expressed his expectation of the event by indicating that:
“It is my expectation that when we are able to have series of such engagements, and those of us who by our acts of omission or commission may behave in a certain way that will give room for any types of perception, we understand ourselves better, and be conscious of whatever we are doing so that collectively we can find solutions to such disturbing problems and challenges”
Edem Senanu, co-convenor of CMAC in his address drew inspiration from Article 35 (6)(d) of the constitution of Ghana and asserted that: citizens have the responsibility to support Government, and Government has a bigger responsibility to create the platforms and spaces for citizens to receive feedback.
He underscored the need to increase platforms for citizen participation to enhance an increase in revenue mobilization. He said:
“The platforms, spaces, and channels for citizen participation need to be increased so that many more Ghanaians will understand what they are trying to achieve, understand their responsibilities and be willing to give. If we don’t have those platforms available, citizens will not know, they will not own the process and they will not also feel they are obliged to support what the Government wants to achieve.”
It is expected that at the end of the two-day workshop, participants will apply the new knowledge of participation and outcome mapping to achieve policy results. Participants of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority will also be supported to develop an Action Plan to facilitate citizen participation in their work.
In attendance were representatives of among others the following: Customs Division of GRA; Joint Committee of Freight Forwarders Association Ghana; Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders; Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana; Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority; Ghana Union of Trade Associations; TV3; CMAC; Westblueconsulting Ghana; GCNET; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Ghana Integrity Initiative and STAR Ghana Foundation.
About the Public Sector Watch Initiative (PSWI)
The Public Sector Watch Initiative (PSWI) is a social accountability project initiated by the Citizens’ Movement against Corruption (CMaC) and hosted by Participatory Development Associates (PDA) with funding from STAR-Ghana Foundation. It is being implemented in collaboration with the Customs – Division, GRA.
The Objective Is to help enhance service delivery, accountability, revenue generation and responsiveness of targeted public sector agencies through an accountability approach that uses direct citizen engagement with key state agencies to enhance institutional performance. This contrasts with a tactical social accountability approach that relies solely on access to information as a catalyst for generating transparency and accountability.
