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| Nduom on public sector reform |
6/15/2007 |
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Accra, June 12, GNA - Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Public Sector Reform, said on Tuesday that legislative instruments governing the specific mandates of subvented agencies should not serve as a barrier to their participation in the public sector reform process.
He said one of the greatest difficulties facing the public sector reform programme was the legal instrument giving specific mandates to subvented agencies but stated that this could be changed through the appropriate legal and parliamentary procedures.
"Yes, we can change the mandate. It is a matter of going to Parliament and passing through the right processes," Dr Nduom stated in his closing address to participants from subvented agencies, ministries, and departments that attended a two-day seminar for subvented agencies. The Ministry of Public Sector Reform organized the seminar, which was on the theme: "Reforming Subvented Agencies for Improved Service Delivery", in collaboration with the French Embassy in Ghana. Dr Nduom observed that the issue of reform had become a difficult one because it involved human beings and a change in human behaviour was often problematic, but gave the assurance that the reform was on course to bring about credibility, respect and motivation to the public service.
Dr Nduom said it was incumbent upon all to understand that the reform matter was on the agenda to improve public service delivery, reduce the impact on the consolidated fund and ensure that there was modernization and efficiency in the sector.
He noted, for example, that a lot of money had been spent on consultants towards the reform of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), but expressed regret that, for eight years, the recommendations were yet to be implemented.
"If government decides that GBC should close down today, it will be done. There is no need to go to the National Media Commission," he stated, and therefore urged the Corporation and others in similar situation to proceed to implement their reform programmes. The French Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Pierre Jacquemot, expressed satisfaction that the seminar had attained its goals by permitting open and fruitful talks on technical matters on issues the two countries had to deal with.
"I think people now have a better understanding of our two public services, the way they are organized, the way they function and the way they try to face challenges and want to reform themselves in order to be more competitive and at the same time deliver better service to the nation."
Mr Jacquemot said he was convinced that the best partnerships take place between people doing the same jobs and between professionals, adding that the project on French support to the public sector reform as well as the one on decentralization occupied a specific place in their tools of cooperation.
"They deal with crucial reforms. They are driven by strong commitments of our two governments and attest to the excellent relationships our two countries have and develop everyday," he added. Mr Christian Bodin and Mrs Cristine d''Autume presented papers on the several topics including an "Overview of the French Subvented Agencies System", "Human Resource Management in Public Hospitals: How to Retain Medical Practitioners"; and "The Public and Private Sectors: Towards New Partnerships for Subvented Agencies".
Professor Samuel N Woode, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, was the facilitator of the seminar.
Source:
GNA
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