Pay rise for workers – Akufo-Addo

Government is to embark on a systematic review of the salary structure of all public sector workers.

This is contained in the new National Public Sector Reform Strategy which was outdoored by President Akufo-Addo in Accra yesterday.

Speaking at the function, he stressed that “modernised and improved working conditions are keys to increasing productivity in the public service.”

To this end, the President disclosed that “there is going to be a systematic review of public sector compensation in its entirety, with the institution of a suitable performance-based reward system to help guarantee increased productivity.”

The review, according to him, “will pursue opportunities for upgrading office space, and provide the necessary tools and equipment to improve the work environment within the Service.”

He indicated that “a central assets and inventory check system to take stock of all physical assets in the public service will be established” while “a culture of maintenance of public assets and property must be revived and adhered to.”

Other areas of concern in government’s pursuance of these reforms in the public sector would be in the area of strengthening local government structures and digitization of public sector services and systems.

The President explained that “the intention is to bring governance closer to the people, and identify local economic development initiatives to provide opportunities for job and wealth creation at the local level.”

“It would also focus on high level activities aimed at transforming and mainstreaming ICT in government agencies. Apart from this, it would ensure the establishment of an electronic records management system for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and the MMDAs. Ultimately, the public sector will go paperless, and reduce drastically the interface that currently exists between citizens and public servants in the provision of services”, he elaborated.

The reform strategy, he assured, would not suffer the same fate as past ones because “matters relating to policy formulation and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting and accountability, have been well factored into this strategy to ensure its smooth take off.”

Under the day-to-day supervision of the Senior Minister and with government ensuring the availability of resources for the implementation of this reform strategy, the President said “I am confident that the National Public Sector Reform Strategy will be a great success.”

He has therefore urged members of the public service to embrace the reforms, since he believed that they represent effective means for the creation of a public service that would deliver for the citizenry and the private sector.

“An efficient public service will help realise our vision of a self-reliant, prosperous Ghana. It should serve as the impetus for re-shaping our country and charting a new path of growth and development in freedom, which will help deliver a dignified, prosperous standard of life to the Ghanaian people,” he concluded.