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President Akuffo-Addo launches strategy to reform public sector

The President Nana Akufo-Addo has outdoored a new National Public Sector Reform Strategy (NPSRS), to improve performance and deliver quality of service by the sector.

Date Created : 8/9/2018 8:55:54 AM : Story Author : Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The NPSRS launch which would run from 2018 to 2023, would review and modernize the current structure system, process and internal management functions for the sector, to enable it support governments development priorities.

According to President Nana Addo, the reform “will lead to the creation of a new public service that is fit-for-purpose, which will help guarantee the delivery of high-quality services for the Ghanaian people and the private sector.”

Speaking at the launch of the Strategy at the Accra International Conference Centre, the President indicated that when Ghana attained independence in 1957, an efficient public service, the envy of many in the region, was bequeathed to the nation.

“It has, over the years, contributed its quota to our development and progress. In spite of its modest achievements, the Ghanaian people, in recent years, have expressed dissatisfaction with the systems of service delivery in the public sector. Whether it is about absenteeism or lateness, incompetence or corruption, the public sector is, today, unhappily, not seen in good light,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo said a major goal of the reform was to strengthen the human resource capacity of the public sector to improve its delivery.

To this end, public sector training institutions would be resourced to help develop the skills and knowledge needed to efficiently deliver.

“The process will also enhance the ethical foundation of the public sector and, in addition, introduce change management initiatives to deal with apathy, resistance and reform fatigue, which have been the bane of previous attempts at reform,” he added.

“The review will pursue opportunities for upgrading office space, and provide the necessary tools and equipment to improve the work environment within the Service.

Additionally, a central assets and inventory check system to take stock of all physical assets in the public service will be established.

Furthermore, a culture of maintenance of public assets and property must be revived and adhered to”.

With modernized and improved working conditions key to increasing productivity in the public service, the President stated that there is going to be a systematic review of public sector compensation in its entirety, with the institution of a suitable performance-based reward system to help guarantee increased productivity.

Other areas of concern in Government’s pursuance of reforms in the public sector, President Akufo-Addo noted, will be the strengthening of local government structures and the digitization of public sector services and systems.

With the mainstreaming and transforming and mainstreaming ICT in government agencies, he stated that “ultimately, the public sector will go paperless, and reduce drastically the interface that currently exists between citizens and public servants in the provision of services.”

President Akufo-Addo assured the Ghanaian people that this reform strategy would not suffer the same fate as past ones, as “matters relating to policy formulation and implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, reporting and accountability, have been well factored into this strategy to ensure its smooth take off.”