Accra, April 15, GNA - The World Bank (WB) and the Government of Ghana on Monday signed a credit of 10 million dollars supplementary funding for the ongoing Economic Managing Capacity Building Project (EMCB). A WB statement to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said the amount would be used to support the Government to perform its role as a facilitator for economic development, through implementing a reform initiative for improved public sector management and service delivery. The agreement, signed in Washington also proposed to introduce certain changes in the project to reflect the extended Public Sector Reform (PSR) activities.

Ms Juan Costain, Task Team Leader for the project, said the proposed additional financing was to provide for expanded activities for PSR activities which include the development of a pay administration framework; job and pay-scale evaluation (including a national survey); installation of a time and attendance system; a performance management system and an advocacy program to support adoption of the initiative. It will finance Government Development Communication Enhancement Programme which seeks to overhaul the Ministry of Information and National Orientation's public communication functions and those of other key ministries, department and agencies.

The fund will also be used to develop and support the implementation of a development communications strategy in support of the PSR; design and build consensus for systemic reforms of public sector pay; human resource management; civil service training programmes and service delivery improvement in public sector agencies. Other programmes are modernization of records management; improvement to conditions of work; implementation of reforms in selected subvented agencies and the deployment of an ICT backbone within the Civil Service to facilitate the execution of Government programmes.