General public to enjoy quality public service

Accra, June 10, GNA - Mrs. Mary Chinery-Hesse, Chief Advisor to the President on Tuesday stated that the general public now have the opportunity to report public officers who mishandle them in the course of doing their work. by calling the following telephone numbers: She announced this during the launch of a new charter, code named

"Citizens Charter" an agreement between organization and the public through which trust and confidence in the public service would be sustained.

The public should report offending public officers by calling the following telephone numbers: 021 684006, 671359 or 672333 or fax their complaint to 021 671358.

The Citizen's Charter which is a brain child of President John Agyekum Kufuor is expected to help create an efficient and public/citizens centred public service.

Mrs. Chinery Hesse said organizations that had so far signed unto the charter had no room for broken promises and no excuses for non-performance.

"We need the assistance of the general public. The ordinary man and woman should know channels to seek redress when he/she is not handled well in a public office," she said and urged recalcitrant organizations who had not yet sign the charter to do so or face consequences.

She said as part of monitoring and evaluating the process the office of the President would ultimately publish a performance ranking and would reward high performers while sanctioning non-performers. Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Minister of Public Sector Reforms, said the new charter had gained public acceptance and urged organizations to undertake periodic reviews of the charter as time goes on to ensure effectiveness in their work.

"The new charter could be used to achieve good governance in the country," he said and announced that copies of a standard customers feedback forms would be made available to the organizations that have signed onto the charter as part of monitoring.

Mr. Joe Baidoo-Ansah, outgoing Minister of Trade, Industry, PSD/PSI said the sector took the directive of the President seriously and had established a client services unit to deal with people venturing in trade and business.

Mr. Justice Stephen Alan Brobbey, Justice of the Supreme Court who represented the Chief Justice commended the idea of a citizens' charter, but said to ensure effectiveness, there was the need for attitudinal change within the public.

Mr. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Information and National Orientation in an address repeated government's commitment to improve quality of service in the public sector, hence the introduction of the charter.

"It is an important tool to use when we talk about corruption," he said and explained that the citizens' charter would remove misconceptions that one had to see a "big man" before he got things done for him.

He pledged government's support to follow-up on the project to ensure that the public service improved in performance. About 24 organizations which include Ministry of Trade, Industry, PSI/PSD, National Board for Small Scale Industries, Ghana Trade Fair Company, Immigration Services, Narcotics Control Board, VAT Service, Bureau of Ghana Languages, Meteorological Agency, National Communications Authority, Ghana Employers Association, Department of Cooperatives signed onto the charter.

The rest are Ghana Export Promotion Council, Gratis Foundation, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering Services Directorate, Veterinary Services Directorate, Ghana Irrigation Development Authority, Women in Agricultural Development Directorate, Plant Protection and Regulatory Services, Animal Production Directorate and the Agricultural Extension Services.