Peer review mechanism would affect all- Dr Apraku

Accra, March 5, GNA - Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD, on Friday stated that the erroneous impression created by some individuals and organizations that the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) would affect only the Executive arm of Government was not true.

He said as Ghana got herself prepared towards the APRM, it was important to dispel the notion, because all the three arms of government- Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary- would be subjected to review.

Dr Apraku said the APRM would also review the work of independent institutions like the Electoral Commission the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), as well as civil society organizations like the media, trade unions and the private sector, among other institutions.

Dr Apraku made these remarks when he welcomed Dr Kerfella Yansane, the Lead Consultant of the APRM Secretariat in South Africa, at his office in Accra.

Dr Yansane is on his maiden visit to Ghana to initiate the process of Ghana becoming the first African country to be subjected to the APRM review process.

Dr Apraku said the review process would cover both state and civil society activities, in terms of how they influenced the effectiveness of governance.

"The review process will thus be national in character, and as such a country review of Ghana in its entirety", he said.

He said to underscore the APRM as a broad-based national exercise; it would examine the four areas of political and democratic governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance and socio-economic development.

DR Apraku noted that in making the review a total national exercise, government had adopted a management structure for the implementation of the APRM in the country, which he said was unique in Africa. He said elsewhere in Africa, the structure many countries have adopted operated from the Office of the President, but that of Ghana would be implemented by independent national structures.

These consist of the APRM Governing Council, the APRM Secretariat and the APRM Technical Review Teams. All these structures are to be manned by non-state actors, relevant stakeholders and civil society organizations.

Dr Apraku said government had not only provided institutional autonomy for the APRM Governing Council, but had tailored its structures and mandate to make it technically competent, credible and free of political interference.

He stressed that the Government had no intention to score political points or take electoral advantage of the implementation of APRM in the country as was being speculated.

Dr Apraku said the move is rather a signal to the international community that Ghana wants to learn and open up its economy for investment.

"Ghana has weighed the cost of submitting to the review and the benefits outweigh the cost", he observed.

Dr Yansane commended Ghana for opening up itself to the review mechanism because it would help the country to identify its deficiencies and weaknesses and promote good governance.

He said all stakeholders would have a say in the process, because Ghana's structure to implement the APRM was unique.

At the first APRM Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda last month, Ghana and three other African countries indicated their preparedness to begin the implementation of the mechanism this year. The other countries were Rwanda, Kenya and Mauritius.

Out of the four countries, Ghana was the only country that had reached an advanced stage for the Review in terms of preparation. Ghana had set up a Ministry for NEPAD, and had undertaken extensive consultations with Parliament and civil society organisations. The NEPAD Secretariat had already appointed a seven-member panel of eminent persons to supervise the implementation of the APRM process.