She said it was crucial for every economy to create an enabling environment, where private sector actors operated at an optimum level without "unnecessary" restrictions, which frustrate businesses to "coil" into corrupt practices.

Mrs Addah, who was addressing a Regional Multi-Stakeholder Business Integrity Forum on the theme, "Promoting Good Business Environment Through Ethics, Integrity and Accountability" in Ho, said  corruption distorted markets and created unfair competition as companies often paid bribes or rigged bids to win public procurement contracts.

She said the practice was affecting the growth of the private sector and challenged actors in the sector to develop company ethics and codes and take internal steps to prevent corruption by activating such anti bribery codes.

Mrs Addah said gradually, it was becoming evidently clear that corruption was not only in the public sector but the private sector too, and said it was time the actors addressed the phenomenon before the sector became unattractive.

Mr John Nelson Akorli, Ho Municipal Chief Executive, said corruption had become a norm when checks were not in place and that laws to minimize the act must be enforced to make the work of the GII meaningful.

He said it was unfortunate that corruption had eaten deep into every part of society, including the Church and asked that churches be probed, especially those that sold items to students. Mr Felix B. Chaahaah, Chief Director, in charge of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, said the Council remained committed to the fight against corruption and pledged its continued support to the GII and other stakeholders in the fight against corruption.

The Regional Multi- Stakeholder Business Integrity Forum seeks to facilitate engagements among business/private sector, state actors and civil society organizations to identify, project and advocate for a corruption free environment in Ghana. The business forum was funded by GII with support from DANIDA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.