Kumasi, Oct 6, GNA - Nana Rex Owusu-Ansah, Board Chairman of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), has advocated the decentralization of the Agency as part of proactive measures to make the institution more viable.

He said any such move would require the reframing of the legislation establishing the GNA to enable the head office in Accra to devolve itself of some administrative responsibilities of the regional and district offices so that they could transact business directly with customers to generate more income. Nana Owusu-Ansah, who is also the Krontihene of the Wenchi Traditional Area, said these when he visited the Ashanti Regional office of the GNA in Kumasi at the weekend. It was part of his familiarisation tour of the Eastern, Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions to acquaint himself with problems under which the Agency operated at the grassroots level. He said that with its increasing clientele as a result of the proliferation of radio stations in the country coupled with its traditional mandate of covering rural areas, the decentralization efforts will allow the regional and district offices increase its income generation.

He said "This will also engender competition among various regional offices to increase output whiles strenuous efforts are also being made to create a regional office in the Greater Accra Region which is hitherto non-existent." He commended GNA staff in Ashanti Region for working hard to sustain the Agency in spite of constraints. Mrs Elizabeth Kankam-Boadu, GNA Ashanti Regional Manager, on behalf of the staff, thanked Nana Owusu-Ansah for his visit and appealed for more computers and other inputs to enable the staff deliver to their optimum.

He had earlier visited the Juaso District office of the Agency where he interacted with Mr Abdul Karim Boakye-Yiadom, the Asante-Akim South District Chief Executive. Mr Boakye-Yiadom commended the GNA for its extensive coverage of the District.