Public sector reform project yields significant improvements – Osafo-Maafo

The Government, through the Office of the Senior Presidential Advisor and the Public Sector Reform Secretariat, has successfully implemented the first-ever Public Sector Reform for Results Project (PSRRP) from 2019 to 2023.

The project, funded by a $24 million World Bank credit facility, aimed to enhance efficiency and accountability in service delivery across 13 key public sector institutions.

The Senior Presidential Advisor, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, disclosed this at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday and highlighted the notable achievements of the PSRRP.

He stated, “The beneficiary institutions of the Project include the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Passport Office (PO), the Births and Deaths Registry (BDR), the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MFARI).

“After four years of implementing the Project, these institutions have made considerable progress in enhancing efficiency and accountability in delivering their services to citizens and the private sector,” he submitted.

According to him, the PSRRP’s achievements were categorised into three key areas: organisational performance for improved service delivery; improved efficiency and accountability, citizen engagement in the delivery of selected services and expanded access to public services.

The Senior Presidential Advisor stated that DVLA significantly reduced vehicle registration times and increased daily driver’s license production from 700 to 2,500.

“DVLA can process driver’s licenses and register or renew vehicle licenses at all the 33 operational offices which was initially limited to 11 offices.

"The vehicle registration time has reduced from six hours to under two hours,” he noted.

Mr Osafo-Maafo also indicated that the Passport Office cleared a substantial backlog, processing and printing approximately 700,000 passport applications since August 2023.

However, he mentioned that many passports remain uncollected at passport offices nationwide because applicants fail to pick up their passports after submitting their applications.

“There are 800 uncollected passports in Takoradi, 8,696 in Cape Coast, and 19,500 in Accra. In total, the country has 86, 000 uncollected passports.”

He urged applicants to collect their passports promptly.

Mr Osafo-Maafo further disclosed that the Births and Deaths Registry increased birth registration rates from 58 per cent in 2015 to 93 per cent in 2022, facilitated by new mobile registration services and improved data integration systems.

He added, “The project also introduced advanced ICT equipment to institutions like the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), enhancing confidentiality and efficiency in case management.

Video conferencing facilities at the Public Services Commission and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service have enabled online recruitments and interviews, significantly reducing costs and processing times.”

The Senior Presidential Advisor also emphasised the importance of sustaining these reforms to improve public sector efficiency and accountability, as well as the need for ongoing support from stakeholders and the World Bank.

He stated, “Ghana can attain sustainable development through a transformed public sector. We must sustain these reforms to make our public institutions more efficient, effective, transparent, accountable, and responsive.”

Mr Osafo-Maafo also expressed deep appreciation to the World Bank for its financial and technical support and to all stakeholders who contributed to the success of the PSRRP.