Reducing ministries a step forward, but should be enshrined in law – Prof. Asare
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare has commended President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to reduce the number of ministries from 30 to 23, describing it as a step in the right direction for streamlining governance. He noted that while the decision aligns with his earlier recommendation, he would have preferred a more robust approach to ensure its […] The post Reducing ministries a step forward, but should be enshrined in law – Prof. Asare appeared first on MyNewsGh.
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare has commended President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to reduce the number of ministries from 30 to 23, describing it as a step in the right direction for streamlining governance.
He noted that while the decision aligns with his earlier recommendation, he would have preferred a more robust approach to ensure its longevity.
“I don’t know whether he read it [my memo to him] or not, but I suggested that it should be 20,” Prof. Asare remarked with a chuckle.
“However, I think 23 is good. It’s closer to 20 than 30. What I would have loved was that this was done not with an executive instrument, but with legislation, with a statutory amendment, so that it becomes entrenched.”
President Mahama’s directive, issued on Saturday, January 11, saw the revocation of The Civil Service (Ministries) Instrument, 2021 (E.I. 12), resulting in a restructuring of government ministries.
The changes include the transformation of the Ministry of Youth and Sports into two separate entities: the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment.
Additionally, the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has been merged with the Ministry of Local Government, and the Trade Ministry has been rebranded as the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry.
The Energy Ministry, meanwhile, is now the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, reflecting a growing emphasis on sustainable energy solutions.
Prof. Asare praised the restructuring but cautioned against the reliance on an executive instrument to enforce such a significant change.
“An executive instrument can easily be revoked by the next president, who could increase the ministries to 40,” he warned. “If this had been done through legislation, it would have been much harder for future administrations to reverse without parliamentary approval.”
The post Reducing ministries a step forward, but should be enshrined in law – Prof. Asare appeared first on MyNewsGh.
