General News of Wednesday, 30 July 2003

Source: GNA

No Rapid Economic Growth If, ... - Glover

Accra, July 30, GNA - Dr Alex Glover-Quartey, Head of the Ghana Civil Service, on Wednesday said unless the Service was efficiently revamped to carry out government's polices and programmes, there would be no rapid economic growth in the country.

He said; "the Service must be repositioned to work hard and learn fast in diligence to enable the country to achieve economic success just as her counterparts in Asia are doing".

Dr Glover-Quartey said this when the Out-going Singaporean High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr FooKok Swee called on him to bid him farewell at the end of his 13-year-tour as a non-resident Ambassador to Ghana. Dr Glover-Quartey praised Singapore for her efficient Civil Service that he described as the most computerized in the world with a work improvement team that met to look out for ways to improve service in that country.

He said the "efficiency of the Civil Service in Singapore has brought the country that far and Ghana needs to learn from her since we even attained our independence before they had theirs".

He said as efforts to improve the Service in Ghana, a three-year strategic plan had been drawn up to identify clear goals and programmes to be carried out within it.

He said with that plan in place, resources were being sought to carry them out.

Ambassador Swee said discipline was very paramount in Singapore and that everybody was made to live up to standards and under the laws of the country.

"Laws are applied equally to every person no matter his or her standing in society. This is what has contributed greatly, to such an efficient Civil Service in my country", he said.

Mr Swee expressed the hope that Ghana would succeed with her present efforts at widening the investment net for all interested ones to come and invest in the country, which, he said, would help create jobs for the people.

He also expressed his happiness at the cordial relationship that has existed between the two countries over the years and expressed the hope that his successor would be accorded the same cooperation as he had. He also invited the Head of the Civil Service to visit Singapore, which Dr Glover-Quartey accepted with gladness and said he would take that opportunity to learn more about that country to make Ghana's Service more vibrant.