GII: GHS20k gift declaration threshold too high

The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has raised concerns about President John Mahama’s new Code of Conduct. They specifically question the threshold for declaring gifts.

GII Executive Director Mary Addah welcomed the Code's intentions. However, she criticized the GHS20,000 minimum value for mandatory gift declarations. She stated, “This is a huge amount for us in civil society.”

Addah argued that this threshold does not reflect the financial realities of many Ghanaians. She noted that even middle-class workers often do not earn GHS10,000 monthly.

She warned that such a high benchmark could allow large gifts to go undeclared. This would weaken efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in public office. “We can interrogate this minimum benchmark of GHS20,000 going forward,” she added.