Ghana Enterprises Agency and Alliance for Integrity launch Business Integrity Project

The six-month pilot project Business Integrity Project (PEPEYE) supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Accra and Kumasi in establishing a corporate culture of integrity. The project was launched on the 8th of March in Accra. PEPEYE follows an integrated, cross-sectoral and gender-sensitive approach: with the help of advocacy and business development services, primarily women entrepreneurs are supported in developing and implementing an anti-corruption and compliance programme. In this way, they are empowered to master gender-specific issues, negotiations and regulations in their daily work and to advocate for a responsible business environment.

Over 60 representatives from business, civil society and the public sector attended the launch event in Accra, including the Alliance for Integrity's partner organisation, the Ghana Integrity Initiative. Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), gave the opening speech and officially launched PEPEYE. Sandra Amankrah, Junior Technical Advisor at the Alliance for Integrity, highlighted the importance of the project in her contribution and explained how anti-corruption in Ghana is increasingly driven by collective action. GEA was also represented by Anna Armo-Himbson, Deputy CEO, and Philomena Norman, Acting Head, Women Entrepreneurship Development. The final panel discussion was moderated by Frank Abdulai Iddrisu, Financial Crime Investigator at Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited and trainer at the Alliance for Integrity.

The Alliance for Integrity has been active in Ghana since 2015. By working closely with existing initiatives, it aims to promote best practices, support collective action and strengthen integrity in the economic system. PEPEYE is thus an example of the underlying Collective Action approach: preventing corruption in SMEs through dialogue, networking, workshops and coaching. In implementing the project goals, GEA benefits from its broad and active network of SMEs. Prospectively, the project is to be implemented in other cities in the country after successful piloting.