A new website would be created by the end of the year to enable the public access government programmes and have a deeper insight into them.

This is aimed at enhancing transparency in governance as well as creating a situation where people would be able to make objective analysis of government programmes and initiatives.

Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs announced this when he launched the Information Week Celebration of the Department of Information Studies, Legon in Accra.

He said the Ministry was evolving a policy that would ensure that only professional communication personnel served as Public Relations Officials in the various Government Ministries and it would involve up-grading officials, who were already serving within the ministries.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey observed that unless professionals disseminated information, its receivers would not understand its real meaning. He said due to the immense importance the government placed on communication, it was working on a new policy paper to enhance development of communication in the country.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey said, "There is the need to give the people access to the government and for them to it, as a means by which real development could be achieved."

The Minister noted that information dissemination and its storage was very crucial for the nation's development. He said the government would support the Department in its endeavor to ensure that professionals took complete control of all information dissemination.

Dr. Erwin Badu, out-going Head of the Department, said although only 344 students initially enrolled for its degree programme, which begun two years ago, the Department was now handling about 1,200 students.

He said the increase did not correspond with enlargement of facilities and appealed to the government and all stakeholders to assist the department to improve upon its facilities.

The Department, which used to run a diploma programme in library and archival studies, began a degree programme in those disciplines as well as Information Communication Technology in August 2000.