|
Blay: Public service must remain neutral
Accra, June 30, Ghanadot/GNA – Mr. Freddie Blay, First
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, has emphasized the need for
the public services to remain neutral at all times and not
be tainted by partisan politics.
He said the role of the public service in the strategic
day-to-day functions of government required that it be
independent and insulated from the influence of partisan
politics.
Mr. Blay was speaking at a ceremony to mark the 2008 Africa
Public Service Day and President’s Excellence Awards for
Innovation in the Public Services on Monday.
It was on the theme: “From Policy to Results-Based
Implementation.”
Mr. Blay said while the public service had undergone several
reforms over the years in response to global developments,
its traditional values were still being challenged by
globalization, liberalization and Information and
Communication Technology.
He said globalization and communication technology had
transformed the provision of all kinds of services in the
world economy, necessitating the need for adaptation, use of
new techniques of service delivery and methodologies.
Mr Blay said the public service could not insulate itself
from the global phenomenon and its impact and stressed the
need for it to adapt appropriately and take advantage of the
innovations to remain relevant to the continent’s
development aspirations.
In reference to Ghana’s quest to attain a middle income
status by 2015, Mr Blay called on the leadership of the
public service to ensure its transformation into a modern
and flexible instrument of development, which could apply
sound management principles and uphold the core values of
good governance.
There must also be efforts to enhance the capacity of the
service in the areas of policy analysis, implementation,
monitoring, evaluation and review.
In addition, it should encourage competition and build
partnership with the private sector for the management of
the economy and sustainable development.
Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Minister of Public Sector Reform,
said to date 55 public service institutions had developed
new charters and established client services units in the
Ministry’s bid to enhance service delivery.
He said the new Civil Service Law had been reviewed and
awaiting Cabinet approval for onward submission to
Parliament.
There is also in place a new performance management
guideline.
Mr. Owusu-Agyei said the President’s Excellence Awards for
Innovation in the Public Services were designed to recognize
and reward outstanding achievements by public sector
institutions and promote and inspire best management
practices that would result in continuous improvement in
work place productivity.
The awards are aimed at institutions, which have made
imaginative and cost effective interventions in their
respective areas of operations.
As part of the ceremony to mark Africa Day of Public
Service, nine public institutions received the President’s
Excellence Awards for Innovation.
The institutions are the Community Water and Sanitation
Agency of the Ministry of Water Resources and Works and
Housing; Ministry of Health – Ghana Health Service (PPME);
University of Ghana – Centre for Remote Sensing and
Geographic Information Systems; Judicial Service –
Commercial Court and University of Ghana Dental School.
The rest are the Ghana Police Service – Domestic Violence
and Victims Support Unit (DVVSU); Ministry of Fisheries;
Judicial Service – Private Court Process Servers Scheme and
Ministry of Health – Public Health Division.
They each received computers and plaques.
GNA
|
