Senior Research Analyst Ms. Rhoda Osei-Afful at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), expressed deep concern over the increasing monetization of services within Ghana’s public sector, particularly in Parliament.
She highlighted a troubling trend where monetary transactions are becoming an expected component of service delivery across various government agencies.
“There is a growing culture of monetization of processes and services,” Ms. Osei-Afful noted. He added;
“Now we have created this expectation that any service provided or rendered, money has to exchange hands.”
Ms. Rhoda Osei-Afful Senior Research Analyst CDD- Ghana
This sentiment reflects a broader societal shift towards transactional interactions, even in areas traditionally governed by public duty and service.
Ms. Osei-Afful emphasized that this expectation is not limited to lower-level interactions but has permeated the highest levels of government. She pointed to recent revelations involving Members of Parliament and a former Deputy Speaker, which suggest that even within the legislative branch, there is an anticipation of financial exchanges beyond official remuneration. She lamented;
“For Parliament, for some of these practices to be coming from Parliament is really troubling, Parliamentarians are remunerated. There are provisions for their sittings and all of that. But beyond that, the Chief of Staff has to now come in again after everything to provide money.”
“What is even more worrying is the justification that this is facilitation. After the work has been done, we are paying money to facilitate. So, really, this justification for me is troubling because, otherwise, all the [other] institutions or agencies of government can have justification for taking monies.”
Ms. Rhoda Osei-Afful Senior Research Analyst CDD- Ghana
She warned against normalizing such practices, suggesting that it could lead to a slippery slope where various public institutions feel entitled to additional payments beyond their official compensation. She questioned;
“Is this the trend? Is this the path that we want to tread as a country? I don’t think this is where we want to go.’’
Ms. Rhoda Osei-Afful Senior Research Analyst CDD- Ghana
To combat this growing issue, Ms. Osei-Afful proposed that Parliament take proactive measures to uphold its integrity and set a standard for other institutions.
Public Policy
Moreover, she pointed out that it’s important for Parliament to adopt practices that communicate clearly to the public, to know, that whoever is doing their business with Parliament, they are not expected to pay any monies whatsoever to anybody – and that it should be made clear that the costs and all of that associated with Parliamentarians and committees doing their work is on the state. She emphasized;
“If the [MPs] are really concerned about their reputation and some of these statements that are coming out from the public, people’s expectations or understanding of the role of Parliament and what they should be doing, I think it’s clear that Parliament put such communication or some kind of policy out there to clarify all of these because this is worrying.”
Ms. Rhoda Osei-Afful Senior Research Analyst CDD- Ghana
Addressing the issue of “protocol allocation,” Ms. Osei-Afful acknowledged the role of Members of Parliament in guiding their constituents to appropriate agencies and authorities for services. However, she cautioned against creating expectations of preferential treatment or allocations based on personal connections.
‘’But for that kind of information and expectation about protocol allocation and the basis for that, I’m not sure about where we are heading with that.”
Ms. Rhoda Osei-Afful Senior Research Analyst CDD- Ghana
In conclusion, Ms. Osei-Afful’s perspective shed light on a concerning trend of monetization within Ghana’s public services. Her call for clear policies and proactive measures serves as a crucial reminder of the need to uphold integrity and public trust in governmental institutions.
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