Ho, March 28, GNA - The Civil Servants Association (CSA) of Ghana might have to push for the establishment of a Ministry with a cabinet status for the Service in order to push its professional development concerns on a higher pedestal.

Mr Smart Chigabatia, Executive Secretary of the Association gave this indication at a forum of Civil Servants in Ho at which concerns were raised about the state of the Civil Service and Civil Servants in the country.

He said countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, France and Germany have similar Ministries, which oversee the professional development of their civil service machinery.

Mr Chigabatia said unless fast and dramatic steps were taken to revamp the Service, it might in the near future not be able to support the government machinery to function the way it should. Mr Chigabatia said the country's civil service today is a far cry from the days when it was held in high regard for its professionalism and therefore consulted by other countries on matters of civil service administration.

He lamented that the Service could no longer afford to sponsor its personnel to regularly undertake management courses at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) because it could not afford to bear the cost.

Mr Chigabatia said the Service urgently requires a college of its own to train all categories of staff regularly.

He said poor service conditions, uncertainty about the future, general feeling of despondency and low morale have robbed the Service of its esteem and attraction to young and energetic professionals looking for bigger challenges and opportunities.