Kufuor to break public service indifference

Accra, Oct. 24, 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.