Government launches eight new charters

Accra, March 15, GNA- The Government has launched new charters that would task eight Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to improve public service delivery systems by defined standards in a timely manner.

"The novel and ingenious initiative of President John Agyekum Kufuor is aimed at arresting the widespread irritations, frustration and desperation encountered by the public when they come into contact with public agencies", Mrs. Mary Chinery-Hesse, Chief Advisor to the President said in Accra.

President Kufuor with the intention of ensuring excellence in public service, introduced the concept of new charter last October by which public service institutions make undertakings to all Ghanaians as to their performance.

At the launching ceremony which was witnessed by members of the public, the respective Ministers of the Ministries of Finance and Economic Planning and Tourism and Diasporan Relations signed their charters while representatives of Ghana Tourist Board, Food and Drugs Board, Department of Urban Roads, Ghana highway Authority, Ghana Standards Board and Public Services Commission appended for their agencies.

Mrs Chinery-Hesse said the eight signed, bring the number of charters signed to 22, expressing the hope that those agencies who had already signed were keeping faith with the pledges they made by diligently implementing their new charters. She said the intention of the charter was also to level the playing field in terms of standard of service all Ghanaians would receive such that all would feel equally served promptly and satisfactorily, without any hint of favouritism.

She further explained that the charter documents were formulated by the MDAs themselves who set the performance benchmarks which should be used to judge them, taking into account their remit and what they consider as respectable level of service.

The Chief Advisor reminded the MDAs that the public signing was necessary because the pact was intended to be with the public who access the services of the organizations, adding that, the undertaking made was binding since it was witnessed at the level of the Presidency. She called on the public to assist in implementation of the charter by drawing attention to any lapses and announced the telephone numbers 021 672333, 684086, 671359 as well as Fax number 021 671358 that the public could access for any complaint to the new charter office that has been created at the office of the President.

Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations expressed the hope that the charter would help sustain high quality service to the people, adding, "it would go a long way to eradicate corruption since there will be openness and transparency". This shows an effort by government in tackling corruption. It would also reduce bureaucracy in the public service", he indicated. Mr. Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Minister of Public Sector Reform, said government over the last three years had been implementing far reaching reforms in the public sector with the focus of restructuring the sector to improve performance and managing change to attain the best practices in management and delivery of public services.

"At the moment, the Ministry of Public Sector Reform's concern is to manage the transformation of our public sector by involving all stakeholders to the extent that, in few years time, very key stakeholder and institutions will be playing their mandated role fully," he added. He said the Ministry had drawn up a Charter Handbook that would be made available soon to all MDAs as well as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, to provide some reading material that public entities could refer to consult with ease when they consider developing their new charters.

Mr. Owusu-Agyei added that the Sector was also planning the first of the monitoring and evaluation visit to agencies that have already launched their charters to assess their impact on service delivery since instituting the charter.

Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning on his part said the Ministry believed in accountability and that when the public have information on service, "they would hold us accountable. For us at the Ministry, the charter would enable us to discharge our functions in a more open, supportive and transparent manner".