...Corruption In Gov?t Is Only A Perception
President Kufuor, on Tuesday, emphasised that his govt is not corrupt, but that media reports on corruption were based on perception and it was not in anyway going to affect the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Responding to criticisms of corruption levelled against his Government by the media and civil society groups, Kufuor asked journalists to expose people who were engaged in corrupt practices to enable the due process to deal with them.

He also charged the public to ask those institutions involved in research to substantiate their claims.

President Kufuor was addressing his third media encounter at the Castle Osu since he became the Head of State in 2001.

The President emphasized that for as long as reports such as these remained, his government was going to be the least perturbed about them calling upon the public not to hesitate to prove acts of corruption, if they came across them.

He said Ghana had undergone the African Peer Review Mechanism and the report of the Committee of the Eminent Persons was being studied by the Summit of the African Union for the final review to be pronounced later.

"But even before this final issue, some individuals in Ghana are already focussing on some aspects of the report, and cynically posting uncomplimentary stories about the country on the Internet, claiming that there is a high level of corruption in Government."

President Kufuor said on the contrary the report had commended Ghana for the various institutional mechanisms and laws that had been or were being put in plac to check corruption.

"Some of these are the Procurement Act, the establishment of Internal Audit Agency, the new Financial Regulation Law, the Whistle Blowers Bill and the Freedom of Information Bill".

He said the repeal of the criminal libel law was the initial step by the Government to enable journalist to expose and fight corruption.

"The media should be first to acknowledge this as one first step Government took in its declaration of zero tolerance of corruption," he said.

"I dare say that additional to newspaper reviews, radio and television commentaries, the institutional approach to fighting corruption has even more promise. This is why the international community, including investors have commended us for our efforts.