Ghana’s asset-declaration system, enshrined in the Constitution, is intended to promote integrity in public office, deter illicit enrichment, and strengthen public trust. Under Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution and the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998 (Act 550), public officers—including the President, Vice President, Ministers, MPs, judges, heads of institutions, and senior civil servants—are required to declare their assets at the start and end of their tenure, as well as at intervals during office.
In theory, the framework should help detect illicit wealth by requiring transparency over assets such as land, buildings, farms, vehicles, business interests, bank balances, securities, and jewellery above specified values. Any property that cannot be justified through legitimate income may be deemed “unlawfully acquired,” and violations can lead to sanctions, including disqualification from office.
However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its latest Governance Diagnostic Assessment of Ghana, has described the system as “incomplete and ineffective” as an anti-corruption tool.
Among the key weaknesses highlighted:
- Narrow scope of declarations: Officials are not required to declare assets held by spouses, children, or close relatives, creating loopholes for hiding wealth.
- Long filing intervals: Declarations are required every four years, in addition to the start and end of tenure, a gap the IMF calls “exceptionally long” given Ghana’s corruption vulnerabilities.
- Weak verification: Declarations are submitted to the Auditor-General while CHRAJ is responsible for verification. Limited resources, legal authority, and access to bank, land, or tax records mean compliance is rarely checked.
- Excessive confidentiality: Asset declarations remain sealed and inaccessible to the public or civil society, undermining accountability.
- Lack of digital systems: The process is entirely paper-based, with no electronic registry, tracking, or compliance reporting, limiting oversight.
These structural flaws reduce the system to a formality, relying on trust rather than scrutiny. Civil society and former Auditor-Generals have long criticized the process as “sealed envelopes gathering dust.” Promised reforms, including digitization, shorter filing intervals, and public disclosure, have seen little progress. The stalled Conduct of Public Officers Bill, aimed at modernizing Ghana’s ethics laws, exemplifies this stagnation.
The IMF concludes that meaningful reform must include expanding the scope of declarations to cover beneficial ownership, shortening filing cycles, introducing digital systems, empowering verification authorities, enforcing sanctions, and allowing some public disclosure.
Until these reforms are implemented, Ghana’s asset-declaration system will remain largely symbolic, falling short of its constitutional purpose of promoting integrity and transparency in public office.
