PPP vindicated by Senchi Consensus

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) says it stands vindicated by the dictates of a Senchi Consensus reached after a three-day National Economic Forum (NEF) at Senchi in Akosombo in the Eastern region.

Director of Operations of the party, Nana Ofori-Owusu told Today in an interview that the consensus communicates ‘exactly the solutions’ his party has been proffering for the country’s problems.

“There is nothing that has been stated in the Senchi Consensus that has not been talked about by the PPP; all discourse that the PPP has engaged itself in in-terms of building this nation has always had to do with building a single vision…,” he said.

And it is this vision, according to him, that has been discussed in the consensus agreed at the end of the three-day economic forum.

The Senchi Consensus is a twenty-two point resolution arrived at by selected economists and politicians who gathered for a three-day National Economic Forum organised by the government.

And this, the PPP director of operations said, vindicates the ten-point agenda put forth by his party in the round up to the 2012 General Elections.

“And if all they said there balls down to this, then it means the PPP is on the right path as a political party which has the best vision for the country…because everyone is talking our language.”

Divulging the details of the consensus and how it is related to the PPP‘s ten-point agenda, Nana Ofori-Owusu said most of the things contained in it sum up the need for a reform of the public service.

“This is what the PPP wants to do because the public sector is in-between life and death and has to be built to be able to deliver service to the private sector…,” he added.

He continued that the PPP would concentrate more on building the public service as its leader, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, started same during his time as the Minister for Public Sector Reforms in the erstwhile Kufuor administration.

He said the party on assumption of power will only need to build from where he (Dr. Nduom) left off, adding the vision of fencing the entire ministries area to create a conducive working atmosphere would be achieved. “We stopped goats and hawkers from entering the ministries area, we were indeed going to put a wall around the entire ministries area that [would not allow] people to enter without somebody knowing the purpose for which you were going there…,” he said.

Creating the conditions for work, he added, is a major priority of his party as the public sector is of major importance to the country’s economy.

On pay and salary, the PPP man said just like his boss, Dr. Nduom helped with the development of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS,) the PPP is going to remove all the distortions associated with its implementation.

Certain subvented agencies, he said, would also be resourced to generate their own monies like Graphic Communications Group Limited is doing now, so as to lower the burden on government finances.

In this regard, Nana Ofori-Owusu said the PPP when voted into power would create a ministry of public service like what pertains in France to oversee work in the public sector to allow maximum output from civil and public servants.

“That ministry will also ensure that the best of graduates are recruited for the public service…,” he added.

Thus, Nana Ofori-Owusu disclosed that his party should be applauded for thinking about Ghanaians and propounding useful ideas that would later be accepted by economists at a national economic forum.

On placing a ceiling on government expenditure, he said that cannot be achieved until the aspect of the constitution that dictates the selection of more than 50% of ministers from Parliament is dealt with.

“Otherwise, where will be the people to ensure that the executive is punished for over-spending…do you expect a legislator who is part of the executive to do so?,” he queried.

The dictates of the consensus, he added communicates that his party, the PPP, is on ‘on the right path’ as most of them relate to what they have already said. The economic forum, he intimated, should be held at regular intervals as it ‘is a nice attempt’ to bring opposing factions together to talk on the economy.

He, however, called for the creation of a committee to act as watchdog that will oversee the smooth implementation of the dictates of the consensus if the government seeks to achieve much with the forum.