Public sector infrastructure must deliver greater value for money - Osafo-Maafo

The government has urged public sector workers to prioritize greater transparency and efficiency in delivering infrastructure to Ghanaians, emphasizing a value-for-money approach.

Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Senior Presidential Advisor at the Office of the President, made the call at a multi-stakeholder consultative workshop in Accra on Tuesday.

In a speech delivered on his behalf, the Senior Presidential Advisor praised public sector workers for helping Ghana secure three awards in Africa and the Middle East for their impactful and sustainable commitments.

However, he stressed the importance of ensuring that “value for money is always achieved in the use of scarce resources,” as well as enhancing transparency and efficiency in public infrastructure delivery.

Mr. Osafo-Maafo made these remarks regarding the commitment to the infrastructure sector within the fifth Open Government Partnership (OGP) Action Plan, which aims to enhance transparency and accountability in publicly funded projects.

He highlighted the importance of ensuring value for money in public infrastructure delivery, noting that the country’s infrastructure investments represent 21.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), totaling GHC226.7 billion.

The Senior Presidential Advisor explained that since Ghana joined the global Open Government Partnership initiative in 2011, four National Action Plans have been successfully implemented.

The fifth Action Plan (2023-2027) includes 15 commitments aligned with the OGP’s pillars of transparency, accountability, citizen participation, technology, and innovation.

He noted that the implementation of those action plans resulted in significant initiatives, including the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the Companies Act of 2019 (Act 992), and a legal framework for Beneficial Ownership.

Other achievements included the passage of the Right to Information Act of 2019 (Act 989) and the creation of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA).

Mr. Osafo-Maafo stated that those measures were aimed at ensuring adherence to good corporate governance practices among all State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and delivering transparent and efficient public infrastructure to all citizens.

Thelma Ohene-Asiamah, Director and Open Government Partnership Point of Contact, mentioned that the workshop would facilitate the development of the first draft of the Infrastructure Transparency Commitment.

The draft will outline the timelines for stakeholder validation, public consultations, and submission to the international Secretariat of the Open Government Partnership.

She emphasized that the process aimed to enhance Ghana’s commitment to implementing actions focused on transparency in procurement, participation, and access to information.

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