Kumasi, March 24, GNA - The Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Antwi Boasiako-Sekyere, on Wednesday expressed the determination of the government to restructure the public sector to enable it serve as real catalyst for national development.

He said until the sector was refocused, re-positioned and transformed, the nation's quest for speedy progress would be a mirage. Speaking at the opening of the Fifth Public Services Workers' Union (PSWU), women's national delegates' conference in Kumasi, Mr Boasiako-Sekyere said a strong and effective public service was the fastest way to extend opportunities to all, which is vital to Ghana's efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The conference was held under the theme "Rendering effective public service-The role of PSWU women", and was attended by delegates from the 10 regions.

Mr Boasiako-Sekyere said there could not be effective and efficient delivery of public service without active participation of women. It was therefore, heart-warming to see many women of high calibre occupying key positions and playing their roles effectively in the public service. The Deputy Minister gave the assurance that there would be no discrimination in the implementation of the government's concept of "investing in people", saying, there would be equal opportunities for both women and men to develop their full potentials in skills, knowledge and attitudes for efficient performance.

Mr Boasiako-Sekyere said as the government strived to make the sector more attractive, organized labour should be prepared to work hard to increase productivity, to lead to decent wage package for workers that would ultimately translate into real economic development and prosperity. He appealed to women in the public service to stick to attitudes of hard work, discipline, selflessness, diligence, punctuality, commitment and capacity development.

Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), in an address read for him, raised concern about the failure of various reforms to increase efficiency in the public sector and said this had cost the nation hundreds of millions of dollars, which could have been used for development.

Mr A.T.D Okine, General Secretary of PSWU, said the women involvement and integration in the Union was such that there was no structure of decision-making body in the PSWU without a woman. He said considering the training and investment that the Union had committed to the Women Committee for the past years, it could not help but demand effective service from them and asked that they continued to play their roles effectively to confront the challenges posed by global trends in trade unionism.

Mrs Christie Carl Oparebea, National Chairperson of the Women's Committee, called on the members to eschew negative tendencies and work to support each other and to aspire for higher positions in the Union.