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Ghana's APRM
receives overwhelming comendation
Addis Ababa, Jan 29, GNA -
Ghana's Implementation Report on the recommendations of the
African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) has received
overwhelming commendation.
The 25 States that have signed up to be peer reviewed were
unanimous in their assessment that it was a reflection of
the success story of Africa.
The Report captured the progress Ghana was making in the
four thematic areas of Democracy and Political Governance;
Economic Governance and Management; Corporate Governance and
Socio-Economic Development.
Presenting Report at the Sixth Summit of the APRM Heads of
State and Government Forum held on the margins of the Africa
Union's ordinary session in the Ethiopian Capital, Addis
Ababa on Sunday, President John Agyekum Kufuor gave a detail
account of policy interventions and initiatives taken by the
Government in response to the recommendations made by the
African Peer Review (APR) Panel of eminent persons.
These include a 50 million-dollar Land Administration
Project to rationalise land administration and management;
the setting up of a Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to help
to reduce the incidence of conflicts through chieftaincy
succession and land disputes and a Public Sector Reform
Ministry to enhance the delivery of efficient Government
services.
In addition, he said, issues of fair wages and pensions were
being seriously tackled, while the country's debt stock had
been reduced by as much as 43 per cent through debt
cancellation and the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
Initiative.
To help to promote good economic governance and management,
President Kufuor informed the Forum that there was now a
tracking system in the country's financial administration
through the holding of joint weekly meetings by the Finance
Ministry, the Bank of Ghana and the Controller and
Accountant General's Department.
Besides, the Public Account and Finance Committee of
Parliament was also being strengthened through capacity
building workshops and seminars to enable it to carry out
its oversight role in financial matters.
President Kufuor further spoke about the Government's
efforts at decentralising the Registrar General's
Department, the introduction of credit schemes like the
Venture Capital and loans to micro and small scale
businesses; bringing down of corporate tax and the policy
that a manufacturer should no longer pay Value Added Tax
(VAT) upfront.
He also touched on the introduction of a legislation to
enforce compliance with environmental regulations; the
revamping of the educational system; the capitation grant;
which has increased primary schools enrolment by about 16
per cent; the school feeding programme; free bus ride for
pupils; training of teachers and provision of classrooms and
equipment.
He said there were, however, some challenges to the
country's implementation of its programme of action,
pointing out that, the quest to achieve single digit
inflation had not been achieved largely due to the high
petroleum prices.
“Ghana, in addition, continues to face capacity and skills
shortages in a number of endeavours to meet the national
development effort while the public sector was yet to wholly
orient itself to private sector growth.”
President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chairman of the Forum said
Ghana had by its pacesetter role demonstrated that the APRM
could spur Africa's progress.
"The measures taken are concrete and development-oriented",
he stated, and suggested that it should be published so that
the world would come to know that the APRM was chalking
success.
South African President Thabo Mbeki described the
implementation report as not only focussed and straight
forward but that it also tackled in a verifiable manner, how
the programme of action was being implemented.
He recommended that it should be made the standard for all
African countries.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said Ghana's Report has
brought out a number of best practices, which the other
countries would have to copy.
GNA
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