‘Let's deepen our commitments to Open Governance’

Mr Alhassan Azong, a Minister of State in charge of Public Sector Reform, has urged stakeholders interested in good governance to deepen their commitment to the Open Governance Project (OGP).

He said having a critical mass of people committed to the OGP would generate confidence in the political system, minimise cost of public administration, forestall social unrest, and enhance national mobilisation.

He said the Government had fully implemented three out of its OGP commitments, five commitments were at various stages of the implementation level, while two were yet to start.

Mr Azong said this in a speech read on his behalf, at a two-day consultative workshop held over the weekend at the Forest Hotel, Dodowa.

The commitments adopted by government include those on: Human Rights and Anti-Corruption; Citizen’s Participation in Local Government; Technology and Innovation; and Accountability and Transparency.

He said Ghana signed on to the OGP in September 2011 and by August 2012, a steering committee was inaugurated to oversee the development and implementation of the first OGP plan.

Mr Azong said the implementation of the first action plan ended in December 2014 after the plan was developed and validated in November 2012.

Mr Azong said the workshop, attended by members of civil society groups, officials of government agencies and the media, was being held to ensure the development of a second action plan, with its funding sources and cost action plan.