Former President John Dramani Mahama says scrapping or merging agencies and secretariats without any functional necessity will enable the economy to bounce back.
Mr Mahama believes it is a necessary step towards salvaging the citizenry from the untold hardship currently being experienced.
In a televised broadcast on Thursday night, the former President mentioned among other things, that the Free SHS Secretariat, National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, National Employment Agency and ‘One District, One Factory’ Secretariat should be scrapped.
“Take the Free SHS secretariat as an example. The Ghana Education Service has adequate capacity to handle the implementation of the policy without the wasteful existence of another secretariat.”
“Why create and staff a ‘One District, One Factory’ Secretariat with new project vehicles and other costs when the Ministry of Trade and Industry has an Industrial Development Unit that is well placed to enhance industrialization in Ghana?” he quizzed.
Also, Mahama noted, “The so-called Special Development Initiative Secretariat and the accompanying Development Authorities must be scrapped, and their supposed functions sent back to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies whose work they have usurped for sloganeering purposes. Local-level infrastructure has always been under the purview of District Assemblies. All that is required is the timely release of their common funds and any other additional resources and they will be well placed to undertake this function effectively.”
Explaining that, “The functionaries are already in the districts, they already know their functions which include taking care of the poor and persons with disabilities.”
According to Mahama, the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, National Employment Agency, MASLOC, Ghana Enterprises Agency and many others should be merged into one entity, under the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.
The former Jubilee House occupant explained that those agencies have similar and overlapping functions, which the Ministry is mandated to undertake.
The 2020 NDC flagbearer alluded to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to empower the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and “provide funds to develop our communities.”
By far, Mahama stated the MMDAs are the better custodians of local economic development.
By: Bernard Ralph Adams | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana