Punctuality Should Be Linked to Productivity - -Senior Minister

By Aliyah Bayali

The Senior Minister, Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, has iterated that punctuality to work, commitment to productivity, increasing performance and producing results will lead to achieving the vision of Ghana Beyond Aid.

According to the Minister, for Ghana to be competitive in the global economy, there must be a linkage between punctuality and productivity, adding that as the country was preparing to host the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, timely delivery of goods and services is keen.

Mr Osafo-Maafo made these comments when Punctuality Ghana Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Accra.

The Senior Minister pointed out that the National Public Sector Reforms Strategic document (NPSRS) 2018 -2023 and the Ghana Beyond Aid Charter have both stipulated punctuality campaigns principles directed at mind-set and attitudinal change of work across all sectors.

He mentioned the NPSRS Pillar Two, which drew attention on 'A Capable and Disciplined Workforce', noting that the section calls for the empowerment of public sector leadership to better engage and support politicians to implement national development plan as well as enforce the Code of Ethics and Conduct including Punctuality and Attitudes to work.

"The Pillar Two also looks at conducting capacity assessment of the public to identify skills and knowledge gaps in the quality and timely delivery of services", he added.

According to him, the government was committed to using the NPSRS 2018-2023 strategic plan, to establish an open and impartial public sector at central and local government levels with citizens and the private sector as the core of its focus.

He hinted that some reforms were taking place in the public sector which included performance-based system, Human Resource Management system, Public Sector Wages and Salaries and reforms in the health of workers.

Mr Maafo commended the Punctuality Ghana Foundation for taking the initiative to embark on public awareness campaign after being the 24th high personality to have endorsed the movement in the country.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Punctuality Ghana Foundation, Mr Emmanuel Amarquaye, noted that the public sector had the potential of boosting internally generated funds when punctuality to work was effectively implemented.

He observed that some robust public organisations were identified by the government as having the capacity of being independent of government supervision, indicating that with commercial mind-set, the public sector would be transformed to generate more revenue for the government.

"We cannot pride ourselves as Gate Way to Africa and aspire to be Ghana beyond Aid and not be bothered about punctuality," he said.

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