Kumasi, July 6, GNA - Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Public Sector Reform has said that the Civil Service has established a Public Sector Pay and Pension Reform as its priority to enhance the performance of Civil Servants.

He said the new comprehensive salary structure included the progressive monetisation of non-cash benefits across board for public services supported by appropriate housing and long-term saving schemes, improved pensions and processing of pensions.

Dr Nduom was addressing members of the Ashanti regional branch of the Civil Servants Association at a durbar on public sector reform organized by the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in Kumasi on Friday.

He said, since last year, the civil service has been able to remove pay distortions and corrected wrongful placements within the service and that has increased the levels of pay across board for workers.

Dr Ndoum announced that plans were far advanced with the service to implement a single salary structure by the end of August which would be reflected in the 2008 budget to help bridge the gap between the higher and lower income workers within the service.

He said the service has been tasked to implement sustained reforms by refocusing the mandate and the structure of the service to help build the capacity and provide timely and productive service to the executive branch of the government particularly, the advisory support to ministers of state and the presidency.

Dr Nduom explained that one of the objectives of the service was to achieve a well-compensated, efficient and effective performing civil service to attract, retain and develop employees in the service through training, career and performance management and succession planning. He stated that, to improve the leadership skills of the civil service, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the office of the Civil Service to provide funding and other support for its reforms. The Minister announced that as from next year, the service would recruit people into the service through competitive examinations and send them straight to the Ghana Institute of Management and Productivity and Administration (GIMPA) for training before assigned to work in the Ministries and Agencies.

Dr Nduom stressed the need for workers to vigorously support the entire public sector programme to strengthen the ability to meet the national goal of becoming a middle-income country with per capital income of at least 1,000 dollar in the next few years.

Mr Kofi Agama, a representative of the Local Government Service said the service has established a number of protocols including medium term strategic plan and conditions of service, communication strategy for workers.

During an open forum, the workers appealed to the civil service to provide accommodation for workers, provide them with the necessary equipment to enhance their performance and also weed out workers who do not have the prescribed work to perform but continue to receive salaries.