Improved Conditions For Civil Servants
GOVERNMENT is working feverishly to improve the conditions of service for public servants to enable them to perform effectively.
To this end, their salaries and working environments would be under constant review.
Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama dropped this hint when he opened the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) conference at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on Wednesday.
Themed “Leadership, Learning, Institutes and Public Service”, the three-day conference aimed at helping public servants in Commonwealth countries to have access to information that would keep them current, effective and efficient in the discharge of their duties.
According to the Vice President, the creation of the Ministry of Public Sector Reform was a stepped up effort by government to address the challenges facing civil servants.
He therefore called for efficient institutions, structures and professional managers and leaders in the public service to move it forward.
“As you may be aware, successful leaders are those who clearly envision growth paths to prosperity of their countries and peoples, and more importantly chart out paths for the attainment of these goals.
But this greatly depends on public service ethos of stability, effectiveness and efficiency without inhibiting innovative, accelerated and sustainable national development.”
Alhaji Mahama said effective political and bureaucratic leadership were not only indispensable in national development but also preconditions for vibrant private sector development which government had been vigorously pursuing as the engine of economic growth.
He showered praises on GIMPA for its positive contribution in ensuring change in management of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies through education and training, making particular reference to the ongoing Accelerated Training Programme for the leadership of the Ghana Civil Service.
“Indeed, one of the casualties of the development crisis of Commonwealth African countries in the 70's and 80's was the erosion of the capacity of the public service training institutes themselves.
“However, through a combination of effective leadership, innovation and support by Government, GIMPA has been transformed and now providing cutting edge leadership training at all levels of national life and has, through a new partnership with the civil service of Ghana, oriented its programmes to rebuild Ghana's public services,” he observed.
Leadership, he maintained, was vital and learning was fundamental to the future success of Ghana and other countries. Consequently, he challenged participants to identify practical steps and mechanisms to impact on the capacity of the Management Development Institutes and public services of their various countries.
The President of CAPAM and Minister of Public Service and Administration, South Africa, Geraldine Fraser–Moleketi, expressed hope that the conference would challenge participants to work towards the total liberation of the people of Africa.
The Rector of GIMPA, Prof Stephen Adei, pledged GIMPA's commitment to live up to its image of capacity-building of the public service.
By Sheilla Sackey