Participants at the 53rd Annual New Year School, on Wednesday called on government to increase the minimum wage from 5,500 cedis to 20,000 cedis a day to reflect the current economic realities.
"Wages should also be reviewed at reasonable intervals to have corresponding link with productivity". These recommendations were contained in a 12-page report prepared at the end of the six-day School, organised by the Institute of Adult Education (IAE) at the University of Ghana, Legon.
The theme for the School was "good governance and sustainable national development". The report, which was released on behalf of the participants by Dr Michael Tagoe, Resident Tutor of the Accra Workers College, called for "an efficient and dependable pension scheme to guarantee a decent living".
The participants urged the government to provide policy guidelines to facilitate zero-tolerance for corruption declared by President J.A. Kufuor.
They suggested that Asset Declaration forms for public officers should be easily available on demand while informants on corrupt acts be protected and rewarded.
The government was also urged to re-introduce subsidies on inputs as incentives to farmers while "agriculture, the largest foreign exchange earner should be accorded priority as it deserves".
The report called on the National Media Commission (NMC) to advise the media to intensify political and education programmes to promote peace, tolerance and good governance.
The participants recommended that the Local Government Service Bill should be passed to ensure effective integration of decentralized departments into the Local Government machinery to attract qualified personnel to serve in the districts.
They also called for reintroduction of civic education in schools to inculcate in students, their rights and responsibilities and spirit of patriotism.
On prevention of HIV/AIDS, the government was asked to prevail on stakeholders to maintain a stable price for condoms and make them available at all times.
The School provided a platform for frank and dispassionate discussions for 208 participants at open lectures, study groups forums and plenary sessions.
The participants discussed topics including strategies for poverty reduction, realistic wage policy and good governance.
