CoST Sekondi-Takoradi has launched and disseminated the first National Infrastructure Transparency Index (ITI) Survey report.
The initiative by CoST is in collaboration with Transparency International, Ghana formerly Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and the National Open Government Partnership Secretariat aimed at fostering greater transparency, accountability, and participation in Ghana’s infrastructure sector.
Madam Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba, the Minister of State, Public Sector who launched the project in Accra said the report provided empirical foundation needed to advance the Resetting Ghana Agenda, which prioritised open governance, efficient public spending, and infrastructure delivery that truly met the needs of citizens.
Ghana, she announced joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in September 2011, aligning governance commitments with the values enshrined in the 1992 Constitution transparency, accountability, civic participation, innovation, and responsible public administration.
She said over the years, successive governments had made commendable progress in promoting these values yet, the rapid pace of infrastructure expansion, combined with evolving citizen expectations, required a deepened institutional reform, modernised systems, and embed transparency as a norm-not an exception-in public service delivery.
She noted how CoST had emerged as a global leader in strengthening integrity and value for money in public infrastructure. Through its four core features- structured disclosure, independent review, multi-stakeholder oversight, and citizen engagement adding, “CoST provides a practical and internationally proven approach to improving project governance.”
In 2021, with support from CoST International and the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), a national scoping study revealed that Ghana’s legal framework-particularly the Public Procurement Act, 2016 (Act 914), the Right to Information Act (Act 989), and the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936)-permitted disclosure of almost all 67 data points in the CoST Infrastructure Data Standard, except tender documents and tender evaluation details.
The assessment, she said represented Ghana’s first-ever national-level evaluation of transparency and institutional performance in the delivery of public infrastructure using the ITI.
She said the ITI examined four critical dimensions of transparency, “our enabling environment, the capacities and processes within our institutions, the degree of citizen participation, and the quality of information disclosure related to infrastructure projects.”
In total, the assessment covered 30 procuring entities across national and local government and evaluated 60 completed projects in sectors such as roads, health, education, water and sanitation, energy, transport, and housing.
Madam Akanvariba said Ghana achieved a national ITI score of 35.76 per cent, marking a significant improvement of more than 14 points compared to the 2021 subnational pilot in the Western Region.
“This performance places Ghana ahead of countries like Uganda (32.26 per cent) and El Salvador (27.65 per cent), and a reminder of the untapped potential, especially when compared to a global frontrunner such as Costa Rica, which achieved 66.95 per cent.”
Across the four dimensions, the findings painted a nuanced picture; “Our Enabling Environment scored an impressive 60.90 per cent, confirming that Ghana’s legal and regulatory frameworks strongly support transparency.”
However, a score of 25.45 per cent for Capacities and Processes highlights ongoing challenges particularly in digital procurement systems, contract supervision, and internal institutional coordination.
The score of 26.35 per cent for Citizen Participation signals the need for more structured mechanisms for community involvement in project planning and implementation.
Madam Akanvariba said the government was committed to acting on the findings of the survey to strengthen infrastructure governance as part of the Resetting Ghana Agenda, adding that the government would establish a Value for Money Office in 2026 to safeguard efficiency and fiscal discipline.
Madam Samina Bhatia, Deputy Development Director, from the UK Commonwealth and Development office, said the Development Office appreciated CoST, the Ministry, and all stakeholders who had worked tirelessly to make the milestone possible.
She explained that the Infrastructure Transparency Index was a ground-breaking initiative which provided evidence-based insights that would help identify gaps, strengthen systems, and build trust in public infrastructure delivery.
“Through our partnership with CoST, our Green Cities Infrastructure and Energy Project (GIECP), and through our Ghana Governance Programme and a number of other interventions, we are supporting the government of Ghana and civil society to create stronger institutions- with citizens empowered to hold decision-makers accountable- all of which can drive better results and progress for the people of Ghana”.
Mr Eugene Ofori-Atta, the Chairman of the CoST Sekondi Takoradi Multi-Stakeholder Group noted the need for a shared commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, and public value in Ghana’s infrastructure sector.
He said transparent infrastructure delivery had become a cornerstone of economic resilience and public trust and Ghana, must position itself as a leader on the continent.
Mr Ofori-Atta said the launch sets the stage for an honest, constructive, and forward-looking conversation and in the spirit of CoST, “it brings together all voices-state and non-state-to reflect on where we are, where we aspire to be, and how we can chart a coherent path toward stronger infrastructure governance”.
