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Government issues eight new charters
Accra, March 15, Ghanadot/GNA- The Government has launched
new charters that would task eight Ministries, Department
and Agencies (MDAs) to improve public service delivery
systems by defined standards in a timely manner.
“The novel and ingenious initiative of President John
Agyekum Kufuor is aimed at arresting the widespread
irritations, frustration and desperation encountered by the
public when they come into contact with public agencies”,
Mrs. Mary Chinery-Hesse, Chief Advisor to the President said
in Accra.
President Kufuor with the intention of ensuring excellence
in public service, introduced the concept of new charter
last October by which public service institutions make
undertakings to all Ghanaians as to their performance.
At the launching ceremony which was witnessed by members of
the public, the respective Ministers of the Ministries of
Finance and Economic Planning and Tourism and Diasporan
Relations signed their charters while representatives of
Ghana Tourist Board, Food and Drugs Board, Department of
Urban Roads, Ghana highway Authority, Ghana Standards Board
and Public Services Commission appended for their agencies.
Mrs Chinery-Hesse said the eight signed, bring the number of
charters signed to 22, expressing the hope that those
agencies who had already signed were keeping faith with the
pledges they made by diligently implementing their new
charters.
She said the intention of the charter was also to level the
playing field in terms of standard of service all Ghanaians
would receive such that all would feel equally served
promptly and satisfactorily, without any hint of favouritism.
She further explained that the charter documents were
formulated by the MDAs themselves who set the performance
benchmarks which should be used to judge them, taking into
account their remit and what they consider as respectable
level of service.
The Chief Advisor reminded the MDAs that the public signing
was necessary because the pact was intended to be with the
public who access the services of the organizations, adding
that, the undertaking made was binding since it was
witnessed at the level of the Presidency.
She called on the public to assist in implementation of the
charter by drawing attention to any lapses and announced the
telephone numbers 021 672333, 684086, 671359 as well as Fax
number 021 671358 that the public could access for any
complaint to the new charter office that has been created at
the office of the President.
Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Tourism and
Diasporan Relations expressed the hope that the charter
would help sustain high quality service to the people,
adding, “it would go a long way to eradicate corruption
since there will be openness and transparency”. This shows
an effort by government in tackling corruption. It would
also reduce bureaucracy in the public service”, he
indicated.
Mr. Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Minister of Public Sector Reform,
said government over the last three years had been
implementing far reaching reforms in the public sector with
the focus of restructuring the sector to improve performance
and managing change to attain the best practices in
management and delivery of public services.
“At the moment, the Ministry of Public Sector Reform’s
concern is to manage the transformation of our public sector
by involving all stakeholders to the extent that, in few
years time, very key stakeholder and institutions will be
playing their mandated role fully,” he added.
He said the Ministry had drawn up a Charter Handbook that
would be made available soon to all MDAs as well as
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, to provide
some reading material that public entities could refer to
consult with ease when they consider developing their new
charters.
Mr. Owusu-Agyei added that the Sector was also planning the
first of the monitoring and evaluation visit to agencies
that have already launched their charters to assess their
impact on service delivery since instituting the charter.
Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic
Planning on his part said the Ministry believed in
accountability and that when the public have information on
service, “they would hold us accountable. For us at the
Ministry, the charter would enable us to discharge our
functions in a more open, supportive and transparent
manner”.
GNA
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