Members of the Council of State
Hon. Ministers,
Hon. Members of Parliament,
Your Excellencies Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Our Esteemed Traditional Rulers,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am happy to join you this morning for the launch of a very important strategic agenda-the NEW CHARTER.

It is to help the public sector to set standards to govern its performance and empower the public to demand such standards as a right. This is because, everywhere, the posture and performance of the public sector contribute substantially to how a government is perceived as well as the pace of a country’s development. A friendly, facilitative, goal-oriented and proactive public sector most invariably enhances the image of the government and accelerates a country’s development. The converse has weakened many governments and retarded development.

We are aware that entrepreneurs and investors wishing to register businesses or acquire land for investments encounter a host of problems. Those making enquiries from outside the country sometimes receive contradictory information from our Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Relevant information takes several months either to be communicated to interested parties, or are often forgotten about. Many invaluable investments, and hence job and employment opportunities have been lost to the country through such unchecked practices. The list is inexhaustible.

The United Kingdom together with some Western European, North American and Asian countries have introduced with great success several forms of service charters to streamline, rationalize and enhance the efficiency of operations of public service providers. The New Charter is a major reform challenge which I wish to bequeath to Ghana.

Ladies and Gentlemen, a service Charter is basically a brief public document that provides the essential information that citizens need to know about the services or functions of a public agency or department, and the manner in which these services can be accessed efficiently. The underlining assumption is that when people are empowered with such information, they would be able to hold the state and its agencies accountable. The Citizens’ Charter initiative requires every public organization in the country to define its customers and create its own charter.

It is an effort to inculcate a culture of excellence in public sector agencies based on the core values of quality of service, productivity, innovation, integrity, discipline, transparency, accountability and professionalism.

Mr. Chairman, to reposition the country for imminent take-off into self-sustained growth and accelerated development, the launch of THE NEW CHARTER has become necessary. It will be driven and propelled by the Ministry for National Security.

A Machinery under the direction of my Chief Advisor, Mrs. Mary Chinery-Hesse has been in operation since May last year. I am pleased to observe that the Charter Committee subsequently established under that machinery in the Ministry for National Security has assisted agencies in the land and the Tax Revenue sectors among others to develop their charters. The machinery will ensure that with immediate effect, all MDAs service providers will establish a CHARTER UNIT and designate a high profile officer to manage it.’

Further, the machinery will articulate realistic and well-informed service delivery standards.

It will also Sensitisise and train the entire staff, including those outside Accra, on the new orientation and the expectations of the public and how they should respond to the public.
Other functions of the Machinery will include regular publication and announcement of new service standards for the benefit of its clients/customers.

It will indicate where and how its services can be accessed, illustrate direction to relevant offices and how to identify particular officers.

It will assure clients/customers of the reception they should expect, establish complaints unit and publicize processes of seeking reprieve or redress

Finally, the Machinery will constantly review and up-date the service standards.

In line with this, all existing statements and documents in MDAs meant to address some of the above demands will be reviewed, up-dated and consolidated to meet the commitments outlined above. Happily Six Land Sector and Allied Agencies have, with the collaboration of the Charter Committee, developed their charters. These are:

•    The Lands Commission
•    The Land Title Registry
•    The Survey Department
•    The Office of the Administration of Stool Lands and
•    The Town and Country Planning Department

This afternoon, as part of the inauguration of the New Charter, I will sign the Charters of the Land Sector Agencies. Copies of these and information sheets would be available to the public.

A special unit has been created at the castle to deal expeditiously with persons not satisfied with treatment meted out to them. The new service standards pledged by the MDAs and Service providers will be closely and continuously monitored, evaluated and graded by the Charter Committee. The Committee will institute a certification and reward systems for deserving MDAs. This should enable best performing MDAs to be recognized for reward, and Poor performance sanctioned.

I am confident that the resultant synergy that would emerge from faithful adherence to the Charter, will enable Ghana to leap from its current state to a high-income status in the next 50 years. It has been demonstrated elsewhere that it is attainable. This is the challenge for us. This is our time. The best years of Ghana are yet to come. Let all of us strive for this noble goal EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE NOW AND ALWAYS.

Mr. Chairman, it’s now my great honour to declare the New Charter initiative formally launched.

Thank you and may God bless us all.