Partners release $10m for public sector reforms

Accra, Nov. 27, GNA - The International Development Assistant (IDA) has approved an additional 10 million dollars for the government to finance its next phase of public sector reforms with a high focus on a new salary structure.

Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Minister of Public Sector Reforms told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Monday that the money was approved largely because of the impressive performance of Ghana's reforms process.

He said the approval, which would be presented to Parliament, would enable government implement the third phase of the reforms process, which aimed at consolidating the focus of the first two phases. The first began in 2006 with focus on the implementation of specific activities that gained buy-in and support from key stakeholders and established basic conditions for reforms. The second phase in 2007 put in place measures to improve responsibility and accountability within the public sector based on removal of excuses for non-performance and an appropriate information flow.

He said other priority areas of reforms for next year would include the organisational restructuring of the civil service that would introduce a new civil service law, human resource development framework, service delivery improvement programme and restructuring of subvented organisations.

Mr Owusu-Agyei said an interim report had been submitted by the Consultant working on new a new salary structure for the consideration of a broader stakeholder meeting, adding that the successful implementation of the pay reforms was integral to the accomplishment of the entire reforms.

The IDA had provided an initial five million dollars while DFID, a key partner in the reform process had also committed over two million dollars.