Ghana needs an independent regulator to oversee political party financing – Valentin Kwasi Mensah

Development Economist and Chartered Accountant, Valentin Kwasi Mensah, PhD, has called for the establishment of an independent regulatory body to supervise political party financing in Ghana and strengthen accountability in the country's electoral process.

He said the rising cost of political campaigns and weak enforcement of existing financial disclosure requirements had increased the need for stronger institutional oversight.

In an opinion piece titled "Political Rivalry and the Rising Cost of Politics in Ghana", he shed light on the state of the country's partisan politics and party financing. Dr Mensah argued that excessive campaign spending could make politicians dependent on wealthy sponsors, who may expect appointments, government contracts and other benefits in return for their financial support.

He cited Article 55 of the 1992 Constitution and the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574), which require political parties to disclose their sources of funding, submit financial returns and publish audited accounts.

However, he maintained that implementation of these provisions remained inconsistent.

To illustrate the challenge, he recounted how he wrote to the Electoral Commission (EC) on January 28, 2025, requesting the 2023 financial returns and audited accounts of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Although the Commission acknowledged receipt of the request, Dr Mensah said he had received no response despite several follow-ups as of November 1, 2026.

He argued that the absence of regular public reporting on political party finances also made it difficult for citizens and Parliament to assess the EC's performance in enforcing political finance regulations.

Dr Mensah said the Constitution Review Committee's proposal for an independent regulator of political parties and campaigns presented an opportunity to address the problem.

He noted, however, that the central debate was whether the proposed institution should be established under the Constitution or through ordinary legislation, as favoured by the government.

He called for constitutional protection of the regulator's independence, core mandate and appointment procedures, while leaving operational details, including expenditure limits, reporting requirements and sanctions, to legislation.

He also recommended campaign spending limits, timely disclosure of major donations, verification of funding sources and consistent enforcement of sanctions against political parties that breach financial reporting requirements.

Dr Mensah stressed that the effectiveness of the proposed regulator would depend not only on its constitutional status but also on adequate funding, specialist personnel, transparent decision-making and public accountability.