Government may have to reduce by over 60%, the current public service workforce as part of a series of reforms aimed at enhancing the performance of the service. Economic Planning and Regional Integration Minister, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom says it is extremely necessary to reduce red-tape and erase inefficiency inherent in the public sector, which holds the key to successful execution of the government’s golden age of business objective.

Ghana has over 800,000 public/civil servants, which is considered as the second largest in sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Nduom was speaking at a one-day workshop organized for the media on its role in the implementation of the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and the African Peer Review Mechanism.

He noted that an efficient, timely and effective public sector is needed in the execution of NEPAD and government policies but “unfortunately, I cannot say that about our public service”, Dr Nduom added. –