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Bribery in Ghana is declining, but informal payments—often presented as gestures of appreciation—continue to impose substantial hidden costs on businesses, according to new data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
Findings from the Governance Series Wave 2 show that direct bribery has dropped from 18.4% to 14.3%, while voluntary or “appreciation” payments have almost doubled, rising sharply to 32.9%. Similarly, requests for unofficial payments from public officials fell significantly, from 51.3% to 38.6%.
A Mixed Picture for the Private Sector
For businesses, the numbers paint a mixed picture. While explicit demands for bribes are becoming less common, firms continue to face subtle pressures to offer “something small” to expedite services or avoid unnecessary delays.
These informal payments—more than half of which are below GH¢100—tend to occur in high-contact areas such as:
- Business licensing
- Regulatory inspections
- Utility services
- Administrative approvals
Although individually small, the payments are frequent and recurring, adding up to substantial costs for firms that engage regularly with state agencies.
Hidden Costs, Unpredictable Services
The report warns that the persistence of voluntary or informal payments undermines fairness and predictability in public service delivery. Because these transactions are unofficial and discretionary, businesses often struggle to anticipate:
- How long a process will take
- Whether an approval will be consistent
- What additional informal expectations may arise
This unpredictability can lead to inconsistent standards, avoidable delays, and opaque operational expenses—challenges that weigh especially heavily on small and medium enterprises.
Cultural Shift or Economic Pressure?
The surge in voluntary payments suggests both a behavioural trend and an economic burden. Even when public officials do not directly request bribes, many citizens and businesses still feel compelled to offer tokens of appreciation to secure smoother services.
The GSS report concludes that while Ghana is making progress in reducing overt corruption, informal practices continue to function as a parallel system of access—one that remains costly for the private sector.
