Establish special funds for training public/civil servants

Accra, Dec. 6 GNA - Mrs. Bridget Katsriku, Chief Director at the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, on Thursday suggested that the Government established a special fund for the training of Civil/Public servants.

That, she said, was an important part of human resource development in the country and explained that the proposed fund must be used to ensure that all Government employees had equal opportunities for training on regular basis.

Mrs. Katsriku was speaking in an interview with the GNA on the need to ensure an efficient civil service.

She said: "I believe that with adequate, continuous and appropriate training and, of course, with appropriate level of remuneration and incentive packages all the reforms in the public service will effectively transform the public service and make it more efficient and reduce tendencies for corruption."

The Chief Director commented on the recent Public Accounts Hearing and said the sector Ministry had taken measures to strengthen the adherence to rules and regulation. "We had a retreat of all Directors of the Ministry and the Managers of the Ghana Tourist Board led by our Hon. Minister to look at the weaknesses within the sector regarding performance and draw a strategic action plan for implementation. We are therefore strengthening the internal controls for better management." Mrs. Katsriku said another major problem in the civil/public service was the act of good record keeping adding that instituting measures like hearing of the Public Accounts Committee was a good thing because public officers would learn to take record keeping seriously and learn to account for monies given out to them for specific assignments. She said bad record keeping could create the impression that officers were corrupt. The Chief Director pointed out that some public servants lacked the capacity to appreciate rules and regulations due to the reward and punishment systems. "I think Chief Directors should be adequately empowered through a well structured system to reward efficient staff and punish non-conforming staff."