Public Sector Reforms: Let's change attitude – Civil Service boss

Nana Agyekum Dwamena, Head of the Civil Service, has called on all Ghanaians especially those in the public service, to change their attitude in order to make the public sector reforms to be implemented by the government, work.

He explained that without the right attitude, the implementation of the reforms will not be effective, a situation that will negatively affect the sector.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 8 August, said his government intends making the public sector go paperless to improve efficiency.

With the mainstreaming and transformation of ICT in government agencies, the president stated that “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 disclosed this in his speech at the launch of the National Public Sector Reform Strategy (NPSRS) 2018 – 2023 at the Accra International Conference Centre on Wednesday, 8 August 2018.

The president indicated that when Ghana attained independence in 1957, an efficient public service, which was the envy of many in the region, was bequeathed to the nation.

The National Public Sector Reform Strategy (NPSRS) 2018 – 2023, according to President Akufo-Addo, “Will lead to the creation of a new public service that is fit-for-purpose, which will help guarantee the delivery of high quality services for the Ghanaian people and the private sector.”

President Akufo-Addo assured the Ghanaian people that this reform strategy will not suffer the same fate as past ones, as “matters relating to policy formulation and implementation, monitoring and evaluation; reporting and accountability, have been well-factored into this strategy to ensure its smooth takeoff.”

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 was confident that the NPSRS will be a great success.

He, therefore, urged members of the public service to embrace these reforms, for they represent effective means for the creation of a public service that will 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 reshaping 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.

Speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM Thursday, 9 August 2018, Mr Dwamena said among other things that: “Public sector workers will also need to ensure attitudinal change.”

“We need to change our attitude towards how we approach our work and even reforms in the country, just as is done elsewhere around the world.”