Ghana Meets Standards Of APRM

Ghana has met all its targets set by the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), its Governing Council said in a country report.

The report which was discussed at a workshop organized for stakeholders in Bolgatanga on Wednesday, cited the country's democratic record and its current stable atmosphere as some of the credentials for meeting the APRM standard. "Ghana can rightly be described as an oasis of peace and tranquillity in a sub-region of perpetual turmoil" the report noted.

It stated that since the return to democratic rule in 1992, Ghana had moved increasingly towards consolidating and strengthening liberal democratic principles and processes.

The Report also mentioned the annual Peoples Assembly as one of the aspects of satisfying the criteria of the APRM, adding that the People Assembly provided a forum where the President of Ghana had direct interaction with the people and freely allowed himself to be questioned on pertinent issues. "Ghanaians' sense of ownership has been strengthened, in that they have a system of Governance that listens to them in approachable manner", it stated.

The Report additionally said the concept of National Governance Forum organized annually by the Government of Ghana also provided the platform for Civil Society Organizations, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, the Private Sector and other stakeholders to discuss and find solutions to improve governance in all institutions of the state.

It also cited the National Economic Dialogue held annually, saying it created the avenue for Government, the Business Community and Civil Society Organizations to exchange views and to cross-fertilize ideas on how best to adopt policies and programmes that would fuel the growth of the economy and the Private Sector.

The Report noted that a solid foundation had been provided for private sector development such as the introduction of incentive packages in the reduction of companies' taxes, facilitation of credits and the provision of advisory services to the private sector.

It finally cited the existence of the law enforcement agencies such as the Judiciary, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and the Police, as some of the standards Ghana had met for the APRM.