Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
From William Yaw Owusu
Monday July 15, 2013
It
has emerged that a complete inventory of assets and properties of the
government on behalf of the people of Ghana does not exist.
According
to Joe D. Issachar, the newly appointed Administrator-General, “the size,
location, condition and value of these assets particularly vehicles and
properties are not known.”
The
Administrator-General was addressing a two-day workshop for the Parliamentary
Committees on Subsidiary Legislation and Constitutional, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs at Akosombo over the weekend.
It
was organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a leading policy
analysis think tank that has over the years been deeply involved in the
establishment and strengthening of a market economy and democratic, free and
open society in the country.
As
part of its effort to support research, and promote and publish studies on
important economic, socio-political and legal issues in order to enhance
understanding of public policy, the IEA is currently focusing on the
implementation of the Presidential (Transition) Act 2012 (Act 845),
specifically looking at lessons, challenges and the way forward since the Act
came into being.
The
Administrator-General who briefed the MPs on the topic: “Establishing the
Presidential Estates Unit: Progress and challenges,” revealed that it was only
the ministries of Health and Education that had been able to design policies
that enabled them to track all theirassets and properties especially vehicles.
He
said all others were still relying on circulars released over two decades ago
to manage government assets and properties.
He
told the MPs that the lack of comprehensive, accurate inventory of the assets
and properties of the government had led to what he called “frequent misuse,
losses, theft and other malpractices that are reflected in the
Auditor-General’s Reports.”
Mr.
Issachar said that even though Act 845 establishes the Presidential Estate Unit
(PEU) to keep inventory of government’s assets and properties, the Act had been
silent on the status of agencies which have been performing the functions given
to PEU and said it was a recipe for “turf fighting.”
He
for instance, cited the role played by PWD Prestige working under the Ministry
of Works and Housing and the office of the Chief of Staff as classic case of
overlapping functions which needed to be explained without any ambiguity for
the PEU to play its role effectively.
He
said that from what he had observed, PWD Prestige Unit should be converted into
the PEU since PWD, a Civil Service entity “has the records and the
institutional memory for the inventories of the executive assets of the state,”
adding “establishing a new agency as PEU is not the best option.
He
suggested that the removal of ministerial control over the PEU “would enhance its
capability of limiting the contact between parties involved in the transition.”
In
the opening of the workshop, Professor Mike Ocquaye, a former Deputy Speaker of
Parliament who chaired the session said matters of transition should always be
looked at “carefully.”
He
said for instance that if heads of security agencies were to have their tenure
of office secured, it would minimize the mistrust political parties have in
them and probably motivate them to deliver without fear or favour.
Alfred
Agbesi, MP for Ashiaman and a Deputy Majority Leader “we need to fashion
procedures in law to guide the way we arrange our transition process.’
He
said the experience of the past had shown that there was the need for “a
reliable Transition Act that will enhance further our democratic credentials.
Ofosu
Asamoah, MP for Kade representing Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said
it was the duty of the committee to strive to put together a workable document
that would help to address concerns related to transitions.
George
Loh, MP for South Dayi said the IEA had restored the process and it was up to
the MPs to handle the issue in a by-partisan manner.
Dr.
Michael Ofori-Mensah, IEA’s Policy Analyst who opened the session the institute
together with parliament was taking preliminary assessment of how the
Transition Act had been implemented.
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