Public sector productivity low -- IMANI

The Vice-president of policy think-tank, IMANI Ghana, Mr. Kofi Bentil, has described the productivity level of the country’s public sector as ‘abysmal’ -- bearing in mind the huge numbers of hands the sector employs, being over 550,000.

He stated that the public sector, choked with such huge numbers of workers, needs to double its productivity rate or have its numbers reduced to save excesses in the sector.


Mr. Bentil called for an immediate head-count of all workers in the public sector, or an intensification of supervision at the various sectors to ensure workers actually work, and not just while away the time and get paid at the end of the month.


Mr. Bentil made this pronouncement during the inaugural ceremony of the 3rd Entrepreneurship Clinic organised by the Centre for Business Development (CBD) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) with sponsorship from the HFC Bank, in Kumasi.


He asked students to disabuse their minds from the ‘get rich quick’ mentality, given that such thoughts can sway them to indulge in negative practices and vices that would eventually corrupt their lives. He further told the would-be graduates to guard against copying the lifestyles of people in leadership positions who scheme to steal from the state.


The 3rd Entreprenuership Clinic, which started from February and expected to end in March 2014, is aimed at educating and equipping students with entrepreneurship and small business managerial abilities.


It is among other innovations that also seek to create awareness and knowledge of opportunities, challenges, attitude and characteristics needed for successful entrepreneurship and venture creation.

Participants of the programme, being final-year students of the KNUST Business School, are expected to know how to manage and sustain a business in Ghana -- and understand the business environment, and opportunities and threats it presents -- at the end of their training.


It is also believed that the programme will also help them discover and utilize their potential, and generally cope with life after school as well as understanding the business financing systems of Ghana, including micro-financing.


It is for this reason that several accomplished business moguls and industrialists from across the country have been gathered to impact the participants with their expertise through teachings and experiences.


The Executive Director In-Charge of Corporate Banking at HFC Bank said the bank will continue to partner industry in the training of students for the job-market in the country and beyond. He asked students to take keen interest in their studies, since it will be very beneficial to industry and wherever they may find themselves in the not-too-distant future.


Prof. Sam Afranie, Provost of the College of Art and Social Sciences (CASS), said the College will continue to put in place the right programmes and initiatives that enhance training students for the job market.


He advised the participants to take the programme seriously in view of the immense benefits they stand to gain after the programme.