The Road to Under 50 Ministers: How NDC, NPP can reduce size of the next government

The size of the government has been one of the major campaign issues as the nation heads towards the 2024 general elections.

Almost all presidential hopefuls, including the two flagbearers of the two leading political parties: the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have all promised a drastic reduction in the size of government.

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also the flagbearer of the NPP, has promised to rule the country with “no more than 50 ministers” should he be sworn in as President of Ghana on January 7, 2025.

Former President John Dramani Mahama has also promised that he “will form a government of less than 60 ministers and deputy ministers of state” should he be made president again – meaning his ministerial appointees would be way lesser than 50.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo currently runs the country with a government of over 80 appointees, including 31 central government ministers, 16 local government ministers, and the remaining deputy ministers, which many governance experts believe is too much and one of the reasons for the country’s economic challenges.

The ministries under the current government include the Ministry of National Security; the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Trade and Industry; the Ministry of Defence; the Ministry of the Interior; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development; the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation.

The other central government ministries include the Ministry of Food and Agriculture; the Ministry of Energy; the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources; the Ministry of Roads and Highways; the Ministry of Works and Housing; the Ministry of Transport; the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development; the Ministry of Railway Development; the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources; the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations; the Ministry of Information; the Ministry of Youth and Sports; and the Ministry of Public Enterprises.

Each of the 29 ministries listed above is headed by one minister and at least one deputy minister. In addition to the ministers, there is the Minister of State at the Ministry of Works and Housing, and one also at the Ministry of Finance.

The 16 local government ministers head various regions, including the Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, North East, Oti, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western, and Western North regions.

This GhanaWeb article looks at a possible list of ministries the next government can operate with.

GhanaWeb contends that even if all the local government portfolios are maintained, the central government ministries can be reduced from 29 to at least, at most 17, with the following ministries being scrapped and their duties assigned to other ministries:

Ministry of Youth and Sports; the Ministry of Public Enterprises; Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development; Ministry of Railway Development; Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources; the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; and Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation, among others.

1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can exist as it is, coordinating the nation’s international affairs.

2. Ministry of Finance

The Ministry of Finance can also remain as it is, with its responsibility of presiding over the country’s economy.

3. Ministry of Defence

The Ministry of Defence can be maintained because of its important role of protecting the nation’s territorial integrity.

It can also have a Department of National Security which would perform the role of the current Ministry of National Security.

4. Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice

This ministry can also be maintained.

5. Ministry of the Interior and National Security

The Ministry of the Interior can exist and also take on the additional responsibility of the country’s national security since it is responsible for maintaining internal security.

6. Ministry of Agriculture

The Ministry of Agriculture can take care of all the country’s agricultural needs, including food, fisheries, and aquaculture; i.e. the responsibility of the Ministries of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

7. Ministry for Labour

The labour ministry must also continue to exist, supervising the needs of the country's workers.

8. Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport

The Ministry of Education can also take on the responsibility of the Ministry for Youth and Sports, as it has once been in the past.

9. Ministry of Information

The Ministry of Education can also take on additional responsibilities of the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation.

10. Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health is important in addressing the country's health needs.

11. Ministry of Works and Housing

This ministry can take on the responsibilities of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

12. Ministry of Transport

The transport ministry can also take on the role of the Ministry of Railway Development and the Ministry of Roads.

13. Ministry of Trade and Industrialisation

The trade ministry can exist and take on the responsibilities of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and the Ministry of Public Enterprises.

14. Ministry for Home Affairs

A new Ministry of Home Affairs which would combine the responsibilities of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; and Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs can be considered.

15. Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology

This new ministry can take on the responsibilities of the existing Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

16. Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources

This ministry can also take on the responsibilities of the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.

With these number of ministries, if a minister is appointed for each of them with even one deputy (which many argue is not needed), the number of ministerial and deputy ministerial appointees would not exceed 50, GhanaWeb believes.

BAI/AE

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