Africa-Press – Ghana. Ms Alberta Kwofie, the Executive Director for Gender in Focus, a non-profit organisation, has called on Ghanaian youth to be bold in fighting corruption.
She explained that the Western Region in particular continued to lose most of its natural resources through unhealthy practices.
She noted that between 2019 and 2022, Ghana lost over USD 1.6 billion due to unaccounted gold exports, much of which originated from the Western Region.
The Gender InFocus Director said this when the organisation with support of NETRIGHT engaged some youth on illicit financial flows and money laundering.
It formed part of a tax justice campaign aimed at improving policies and laws to track and stop illicit financial flows and promote fair and equitable tax revenue mobilization and strengthen social contracts across Africa.
The forum was organised to build the capacity of young people especially the youth to recognize and resist the traps of illicit financial activities.
“While unemployment and poverty make many youths vulnerable, your energy, creativity, and resilience also make you powerful agents of change,” she stated.
She further explained that money laundering poses a severe threat to the country by facilitating other crimes, including smuggling and illegal mining with dire consequences on economic stability, and public trust.
Ms. Kwofie therefore noted the need for effective collaboration between the Bank of Ghana, and law enforcement agencies and the deployment of appropriate technology to track illicit financial flows and disrupt criminal networks.
Mr. Eric Asare, Revenue Officer of GRA under Customs division said, trade misinvoicing, smuggling, tax evasion, and bulk cash smuggling posed serious challenges to economic stability and development.
These illicit practices drained national resources and created adverse effects on society, especially the youth.
Mr. Asare called for comprehensive, transparent data on trade misinvoicing to promote accountability, adding that combating trade misinvoicing, smuggling, and related financial crimes required coordinated action across institutional, technological, policy, and social dimensions.
Ms. Philomel Perkin Cann, Inspector of Mines (Environment) at the Minerals Commission called for stronger law enforcement and monitoring.
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