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President
Kufuor takes aim at public service apathy
Accra, Oct. 24, Ghanadot/GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor
on Wednesday launched in Accra, a new Charter whose goal is
to make the country's public service more responsive and
accountable.
Coming with it is a Special Office set up to measure
performance of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
against set standards to reward those who excel and sanction
defaulting ones.
The Chief Advisor to the President, Minister of National
Security, Minister of Information and National Orientation
and the Minister of Public Sector Reform, are the members.
President Kufuor declared that the Charter was a major
reform challenge he wanted to bequeath to the nation.
He said it was imperative that the public sector enhanced
the quality of its service delivery, since its posture and
performance contributed significantly to how a government
was perceived as well as the pace of the country's
development.
"A friendly, facilitative, goal-oriented and proactive
public sector most invariably enhances the image of the
Government and accelerates a country's development. The
converse has tended to weaken many a government and retard
development."
President Kufuor noted how, through indifference and
unchecked practices of public service providers, the country
had lost many invaluable investments and job creation
opportunities.
"We are all aware of the host of problems often encountered
by entrepreneurs and investors, who wish to register
businesses or acquire land for investments. Those making
enquiries from outside the country sometimes receive
contradictory information from our Ministries, Departments
and Agencies.
“Relevant information takes several months either to be
communicated to interested parties, or are often forgotten
about altogether. The list is inexhaustible."
The Charter, he said, must penetrate the veil of anonymity
in the public service, adding: "The public must now be able
to demand service that is non-discriminatory, delivered
promptly and with due courtesy."
He said to re-position Ghana for imminent take-off into
self-sustained growth and accelerated development the launch
of the Charter, incubated in the Castle, the seat of
Government and piloted with some agencies including, Lands
Commission; Land Title Registration; Survey Department;
Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands and the Town and
Country Planning Department, had become necessary.
President Kufuor directed all MDAs as well as District,
Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies to establish a Charter
Unit with immediate effect and to designate high profile
officers to manage it.
These would become the conscience of the MDAs, sensitising
and training the entire staff on the new orientation and the
expectations of the public and how to respond to the public.
Mr Francis Poku, Minister of National Security, said the
challenge was for all to ensure a collective resolve to
salvage the nation from the stigma of inefficiency and
create a benign bureaucratic environment that would enable
businesses to flourish.
Minister of Public Sector Reform, Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei said
equal access to public services and the Government's ability
to be responsive to citizens’ demands, were two of the
indicators for quality governance.
President Kufuor signed the Charters of the Land Sector
Agencies as part of the inauguration.
GNA
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