33,000 Civil Servants to be redeployed

Over 33,000 civil servants out of the about 42,000 currently working under the Civil Service are to be redeployed to the Local Government Service (LGS) beginning January 1, 2007 to accelerate and consolidate the process of decentralization.

"We have the political will and commitment from the highest authority, whilst national bureaucrats have been sensitised to cede power and control to the assemblies and the assemblies psyche up to build the capacity to absorb the decentralized management," Mr Joe D. Issachar, Head of Civil Service stated at Sogakope on Saturday.

Mr. Issachar was addressing Chief Directors of Ministries, Regional Coordinating Councils Directors, Members of Parliament and Senior Civil Servants at a three-day capacity workshop on; "Integration of Line Departments Into the Fold of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

"The LGS Act 2003, (Act 656) establishes a single unified Local Government Service for all the local authorities in Ghana.

He explained that Section 34, stipulates, "on the coming into force of the Act the members of staff of the 14 civil service departments listed in the schedule shall be deemed to have been transferred to a Department of a District ... to form part of the service from the date of transfer.

"The workshop was organized by the Local Government Service Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment and UNDP.

It was to discuss the integral part of the communication strategy of the service to build bridges to stakeholders at all levels, foster consultation, collaboration and coordination with other stakeholders to push the implementation of the programme of decentralization forward.

The personnel have been classified under 11 decentralized departments, Central administration, Finance, Education Youth and Sports, Health, Agriculture, Physical Planning, Social Welfare and Community Development, Natural Resources Conservation, Works, Trade and Industry, and Disaster Prevention.

Mr Issachar explained that functions previously performed by branches, divisions or units of the departments to be transferred have been identified and merged with those of the assemblies.

On staff ranking at the decentralized departments at the assemblies, the Head of the Civil Service said they would be identified by age, rank, qualification and skills before transferred to form part of the Local Government Service.

Mr. Issachar noted that all Chief Directors, including the regional coordinating Directors are to communicate the envisaged changes to their respective regional and district officers, especially the new performance appraisal system, control and reporting mechanism to guide staff assessment and development for efficient performance.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Nana Rex Owusu-Ansah Acting Head of the Local Government Service explained that the process was to integrate the decentralization process, which involves the devolution of central administrative authority to sub-national governments.

He noted that the integration process had gone through major re-organisation of departments at the district level - identifying the presence of line departments, defining and clarifying their functions, structure, job description of head of departments, and scheme and condition of service for personnel of the departments.

The decentralization of 22 functional areas of government to the sub-national governments, fussion of government agencies at the sub-national level and local governments units into one administrative unit "Single Hierarchy Model," through the process of institutional integration, manpower absorption, composite budgeting and provision of funds for the decentralized services.

Nana Owusu-Ansah said the promotion of popular grass-root participation in the administration of the various areas concerned from the stand points of planning, implementation, monitoring and achievement of those services, which go to improve the living conditions of the people and the orderly, fair and balanced development of the whole country.

The Acting Head of the Local Government Service, who is also the Board Chairman of the Ghana News Agency said under the comprehensive local government and administrative reforms, "the Central Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies are to undertake policy planning, monitoring and evaluation of development policies and programmes.

"Regions, through the Regional Coordinating Councils and respective Regional Planning and Coordinating Units, now play an important role of coordination, not in regular manner, but ensure consistency, compatibility and coherence of district level development, facilitate joint ventures among districts and monitor the activities of District Assemblies within the regions.

The District Assembly is primarily responsible for the implementation of development policies and programmes coordinated by the National Development Planning Commission.

In a speech read on his behalf, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Public Sector Reform said as a first step for implementation of the reforms, government had introduced and passed new legislation, which gave legal backing to the movement of some parts of government machinery from the centre to the districts and municipalities.

"The first Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS I) defined a programme of decentralization that even promised to remove the barriers that prevented the election of District Chief Executives," he told the participants.

Dr Nduom said the Government is committed to ensure the movement of civil servants from the office of Civil Service to the Local Government Service by first January, 2007.

"We will work with the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and Development Partners to ensure that there is a common resources pool, with a single reform agenda aimed at accelerating the pace of decentralization.

"Support Local Government to use legislation to make clearer Government's commitment to decentralization and use the Public Sector Reform Work Programme to promote decentralization in visible and concrete terms," he said.

GIMPA: About 300 billion cedis needed to achieve excellence

The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration needs about 300 billion cedis to create an excellent best educational hub for the training of society’s leaders in politics, public management and business, Professor Stephen Adei, Rector of the Institute said on Saturday.

He said the 300 billion cedi project would have facilities, which include a world class faculty, cutting edge technology, good technical and management systems, topmost rated programmes and state of the art infrastructure.

Prof Adei was speaking at the third congregation and first undergraduate graduation for the Greenhill College where about 200 students graduated in various Masters’ and Bachelors Degree programmes.

The Rector observed that if GETfund could assure the institute of a modest inflow of just 10 billion cedis a year as a public sector tertiary institution over the next ten years, then GIMPA could commit 300 billion cedis of financing the project with the internally generated resources.

He explained that the 300-billion- cedi- project would come in three parts and noted that 100 billion cedis would be used to upgrade GIMPA into the finest public service school, graduate training institution and best hospitality training centre in Africa.

The second part, he said, would be the building of a separate top rated undergraduate school at a cost of 150 billion cedis to house Greenhill College, while the third component would be used for the 50 billion cedis distance learning infrastructure, which would link all the regional capitals with internet and video conferencing facilities.

“We want to create Ghana’s own version of Harvard Business School, Kennedy School of Government and Malaysia’s INTAN; a public service school, all rolled into one; plus the best undergraduate school in Africa for public administration, business, hospitality management and Information, Communication and Technology (ICT),” Prof. Adei said.

He said: “We want GIMPA to be second to none. We cannot and we must not take for granted or leave to chance the selection of those who will lead Ghana’s business houses, bureaucracy and politics ten to twenty years down the road.”

He announced that the Divestiture Implementation Committee had allocated offices in Tamale, Kumasi and Takoradi to the Institute which it intended to create distance learning centres to the regions at a cost of 11.15 billion cedis and called for help to enable the institute link all regional capitals with a video conferencing facility which would serve as an intranet for government.

On challenges, Prof. Adei mentioned that GIMPA had been treated by some institutions such as the scholarship secretariat and the National Commission for Tertiary Education as a private institute, giving them less support than expected.

He however, commended GETfund for helping the institute with a syndicate room, saying, “The pursuit of excellence should not be penalized in Ghana.” Prof. Adei suggested universal education to secondary school level to uplift the general capacity of citizenry, high level of training with emphasis on science and technology and visionary, capable and legitimate leaders as a remedy by for the nation to achieve greatness.

“With little ingenuity, Ghanaians in the Diaspora can bring billions of dollars a year into the country, more than we could hope from donors for years; we earn billions from tourism, education…the major constraint on our development is not foreign exchange but vision, innovation and human resource development.

If we focus on our human resource we will be touching on the corner stone of how nations develop,” he held. He challenged the graduands to think big, work hard and make a difference for God, country and family and said, “Someone has said that if you think knowledge is expensive, try ignorance.”

Dr Emmanuel Boohene, Chairman of GIMPA Council, noted that GIMPA was challenged with the need for more facilities like classrooms, faculty rooms, laboratories, extended libraries, among other constraints and urged well wishers to support GIMPA’s projects.

Among the graduands were Madam Hawa Yakubu, former Minister of Tourism and Bishop James Saah of Action Chapel.GNA

NPP youth told to support membership drive

Members of the Tertiary Education Students Confederacy (TESCON) of New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been urged to strategise and come out with efficient programmes to enhance membership drive.

Alhaji Raman Issa, Chairman of Effia-Kwesimintsim Constituency branch of NPP Nasara club who made the call said effective membership drive required the members to propagate achievements of the Government since assumption of power in January 2001.

He was addressing members of Takoradi Polytechnic Chapter of TESCON at a forum at Takoradi on Saturday.

It was part of the Chapter's activities to formally induct new members that included presentation of food items and second-hand clothing worth about 1.5 million cedis to the Sekondi Twin-City Special School and a cleanup exercise at Effia-Nkwanta Government Hospital.

Alhaji Issa advised the youth particularly those in the Zongo communities to be wary of politicians who might use them for their selfish agenda. He stressed the need for unity and hard work among members of the various structures of NPP to enable it win the 2008 elections.

Mr Yaw Amoabeng Acheampong, Western Regional Monitoring Officer of School Feeding Programme said 15,000 pupils were currently benefiting from the programme in the region.

He said the programme on pilot basis was to enable pupils have the required nutrition to develop sound mind and body to perform well in school. Mr Acheampong noted that achievements of the Government were a threat to the survival of opposition political parties hence the efforts to discredit instead of commending the Government and NPP.

Ms Agnes Naana Amoah, Effia-Kwesimintsim NPP Constituency Women's Organiser said the party had placed premium on the role of women and called on women activists to collaborate effectively with the men to work hard for the party.

Mr Isaac Awuku, Special Aide to Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, a Presidential Aspirant of NPP, said the massive development programmes undertaken by the Government was enough evidence of efficiency and pragmatism of the party.

He said the country’s future depended on the youth and should not allow themselves to be taken for a ride by self-seeking politicians.GNA

DFP commends government but calls for vigorous economic policies

The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) on Friday called on Government to pursue more vigorous economic policies geared at reaching eight per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth within the shortest possible time.

A statement issued in Accra and signed by Alhaji Abdul Rahman Issaka, Interim National Chairman of DFP, commended Government for achieving a growth rate of 6.2 per cent GDP by the close of the year but said the growth was not enough considering the population growth rate of three per cent.

The statement said the DFP found the macro-economic stability in the country as similarly commendable, considering the crude oil price shocks that the country was experiencing but saying that the stability had been at a cost. “The statement on social programmes of the Government is again commendable.

These are the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Capitation Grant, School Feeding Programme, Free Bus Service for school pupils and generally the Metro Mass Trans system which has been re-introduced are all in the right direction but more must be done,” the statement added.

It said control of inflationary pressures had resulted in cash squeeze in the system and had denied the economy the fuel needed to fire it.

The statement said the fact that interest rates had not gone down as much as was desirable, was an indicative that there was a problem and needed to be addressed to move the economy forward.

"DFP views that the removal of taxes is in the right direction however, the tax proposals which are aimed at the poultry and rice sectors of agriculture do not address the larger bottlenecks created by trade liberalization," the statement said.

It suggested that any incentive through a tax regime must be paced to protect local industries and agriculture products. The statement said, “DFP regards the comprehensive pay structure review as very desirable and that action on it must be expedited.

However, DFP is aware that there is poverty despite all the efforts made to attain macro-economic stability.”GNA

President Kufuor inaugurates Ahafo Mine of Newmont Ghana

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday inaugurated the Ahafo Mine of Newmont Ghana Limited with a call on the management with its high international profile to fit well into the partnership with Government and other stakeholders.

He said much was expected of the company in terms of business and social responsibility to the local stakeholders adding "The touchstone of the partnership should be the principle of win-win, which must be translated practically."

Inaugurating the mine at Ntotroso in Asutifi District of Brong Ahafo Region, President Kufuor urged the management to let the evidence of its corporate citizenship show in its commitment to regularly use the services of local sub-contractors as well as the domestic sector, including financial institutions and being listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE).

He noted that the company's plans to expand its Ahafo operations while at the same time exploring other parts of the country for more gold mining sites was encouraging. "Geologically the country is well-known to be gold-laden in nearly all parts.

This is why the policy is to encourage investors who come in with know-how, capital, enhanced job creation and a heightened sense of responsibility, especially to their areas of operation, to partner the state and the people to our mutual benefit," President Kufuor added.

President Kufuor stressed that this encouragement from Government "Translates into a fair administrative and legal framework, including Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, public sector responsiveness to good corporate citizenship, a vigorous infrastructural development and improved social services delivery."

He explained that the new Minerals and Mining Act that came into force in March this year reflected the Government's commitment to good governance in all areas of national endeavour.

President Kufuor said the Act's critical feature "Is the transparency that it introduces into the mining industry and the level of responsibility that it demands of all stakeholders."

He called on the chiefs and people in the area to give the management maximum support and all the co-operation it needed. President Kufour gave the assurance that Government was taking serious and urgent measures to implement policies that would double the energy sector's capacity within three to five years.

He said Government was committed to quickly overcome the insecurities in the sector, saying despite any discomforts that Newmont might experience now and then, "There is not a better time for doing business in the country than now.”

Mr Wayne Murdy, Chairman and Chief Executive of Newmont Mining Corporation expressed appreciation for the hospitality that the company had received from the Government and its agencies, the chiefs and people in the communities where the company's projects were located.

He noted that many people mostly Ghanaians had contributed to the development and construction of the Ahafo mine and paid tribute to their work. "This world-class project incorporates a blend of the standards of the Government of Ghana, the World bank and Newmont's standards and values.”

"That is why we have in this project some notable high points, including on-time and on-budget, the largest processing facility of its type in Africa," Mr Murdy added.

Mr Murdy noted that Ghana was a good place for the company's first gold mine on the African continent, adding that not only was Ghana the first country acknowledged historically as "Gold Coast" but was also a pacesetter in democracy in Africa.

He stressed that the company's commitment went beyond finding and producing ounces of gold, "For we recognise that the lives of communities within the vicinity of our projects and the nation at large must be improved by our presence."

"Our goal is to leave a legacy of increased prosperity by building sustainable capacities for the communities who are our neighbours so that even after the mine eventually closes their lives would continue in an improved state as a result of our project," Mr Murdy said.

The Newmont Chief Executive was optimistic that the company would continue to enjoy the confidence and trust of the Government and people of Ghana "And we would further consolidate our Golden Partnership.

" Mr Bill Zisch, Vice President of Newmont, Africa Operations, gave the assurance that the company would continue to pursue opportunities to deepen its relationships with Ghanaians. "Our goal is still to create value for all stakeholders with every ounce of gold and this could only happen through partnership," he added.

President Kufuor assisted by Mr Murdy unveiled a plaque to commemorate the inauguration. In another development, Mr Pierre Lassonde, President of Newmont on behalf of the company presented a cheque for 25,000 dollars to Daasebre Osei Bonsu 11, Asante-Mamponghene, who represented Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, Asantehene, towards the Otumfuo Education Fund.GNA

Incentives in the Budget are steps in the right Direction - Abankroh

Mr Ernest Abankroh, Country Manager (Ghana) Anglogold Ashanti, has described as a step in the right direction the generous incentives that were announced in the 2007 Budget to enhance the performance of the private sector.

Speaking at the Business and Financial Times 2006 Best Sector Performance Awards Night, Mr Abankroh said the ongoing road construction works across the country, improvement in the telecommunication and port services, and the tax relieves provided for in the budget were an indication that government was making good strides to facilitate the cost of doing business in the country.

However, he said, while the government’s active involvement in assisting the private sector was commendable, the country was still not out of the woods yet as far as the cost of doing business was concerned.

Mr. Abankroh said while private investment remained the main driving force of the private sector and thrived well in an environment that was protective of property rights and supportive of business transactions; it was still problematic for those seeking to start new businesses.

There are still problems of credit support from the financial sector, persistent delays in property registration, availability of quality and affordable labour and so forth as well as the residual problems in contract enforcement, processing of licenses and related factors that tended to engender bribery and corruption.

Mr Abankroh said besides these challenges, the cost in time and money that various business concerns devote to complying with regulatory procedures tended to be quite hefty and sometimes very avoidable without compromising best practice.

On the recent power crisis that had hit the nation, he said, apart from the destructive effects of power fluctuation and surges, the dependence of other vital services such as water and the financial sector on uninterrupted and relatively affordable power supplies set ripples in the business environment, which considerably challenge both the local and foreign investor alike.

Mr Abankroh said the resultant response by companies in investment in alternative generating sets was not only expensive but also add considerably to corporate running costs and other related expenditures given the recent fuel price hikes.

He urged government to put into operation some of the established institutional frameworks that were supposed to engender public-private partnerships to allow power generation and supply at a fair and equitable cost nationwide.

Mr Abankroh said the extent to which most of these challenges outlined was dealt with would go a long way to determine the success of the implementation of the intentions of the 2007 Budget.

Mr Franklin Sowa, Business Development Manager of Business and Financial Times, said the Best Sector Performance Awards had been adopted as one of the few strategies to offer healthy challenges that would promote enhanced professionalism to sustain the country’s economic growth.

He said winners were selected by a committee based on the extent to which their overall goals and objectives had been met over the past year, as well as related hallmark activities initiated by the sectors and the impact of such sectors on the overall performance of the economy.

Other factors considered are the application of good management practices within the overall concept of enhanced corporate governance, output and value contribution to the particular sector’s quota to the national economy, which included among others products and services and or monetary contribution.

Dr Joseph Nnanna, Director General of the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), who chaired the function commended the Business and Financial Times for the initiative and expressed the hope that all other media organizations across the sub-region would take a cue from the good example of the Newspaper to use their medium to engender good economic performance.

In all, four organizations picked up awards. The overall Best Sector Performance Award went to the World Bank Group Ghana Office for their initiative Ghana Marketplace which generated four billion cedis to support small medium scale enterprises (SMEs) operators.

Other institutions, which picked up awards, were the Metro Mass Transit Company, Unique Trust Financial Services and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). GNA

Ghana seeks to chair one more Committee at ECOWAS Parliament

Ghana could not secure a position on the leadership of the Bureau of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) Parliament and is now seeking to chair one of Committees of House.

The leadership positions were a Speaker and four Deputy Speakers. Former President of Niger, Ousmane Mahamane was on Tuesday elected the new Speaker of the 108-member Parliament to succeed Professor Ali Nouhoum Diallo of Mali for the next four years.

The four Deputy Speaker positions, which add up to that of the Speaker to constitute the Bureau went to Nigeria; Cape Verde; Benin and Sierra Leone, after lengthy consultations at the inaugural session of the Second ECOWAS Parliament, underway at Abuja, the administrative capital of Nigeria.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, Ghana's Majority Chief Whip, who is also Leader of Ghana's delegation to the session, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA), that Ghana is seeking to chair the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Legal and Judiciary, in addition to the Committee of Transport and Communication, which she already chaired.

He said considerations for the Deputy Speaker were based on nationality, language and gender adding that Ghana could secure two positions since she had the second largest membership of eight after Nigeria which had 35 members.

Mr Bonsu said by a general consensus, the fourth slot for the Position of Deputy Speaker, which was to be picked among, Ghana, Gambia and Sierra Leone, went to Sierra Leone, because the Authority of Head of States of ECOWAS had agreed that Sierra Leone ceded her position of Speaker to Niger.

Other considerations that made Sierra Leone pick the fourth position were that she did not have a high profile position within the ECOWAS set up, had two votes against one for Ghana, and her candidate was much more senior in the Parliament than Ghana's candidate, in the person of Mr Bonsu, who is also the MP for Suame.

Mr Bonsu said the Parliament was considering increasing its committees from nine to 14 to create smaller size committees to enhance efficiency to impact positively on governance.

He said the increase was necessary as the Heads of States, Council of Ministers and other institutions in the Sub-Region were now obliged to consult the Community Parliament for advice on issues of Fundamental Human Rights, Free Movement of Goods and Services, Interconnection of Communication Networks and Telecommunication Interconnectivity.

The Leaders also consult the Parliament on Energy, Research on Science and Technology as well as National and Social Integration.

President John Agyekum Kufuor at the last meeting of ECOWAS Heads of State, got Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas of Ghana elected as the First Commissioner of the newly created ECOWAS Commission.GNA