Are big Governments’ bad Governments?

Ministries in our part of the world are very expensive to run. The state is required to provide freebies to all government officials. These are as follows: free electricity, free water, free medical care, free petrol, free drivers, and free police escort, free garden boy, free cook, and free houseboy, free cars for all ministers. These are serious drain on a Nations' finances. A country can only develop when it uses its available resources efficiently. It is about time civic society condemn the new trend of big and bigger size on government where most demanding positions are awarded to people not based on competent and loyalty to nation but to supporters, friends and relatives. 

Are big Governments’ bad Governments?

For instance does Ghana's gargantuan government reflect her social-economic advancement? Has Ghana's age reflected her growth and development? The political party’s appetite to expand government in order to reward friends is questionable and unproductive. The record number of ministerial appointees says it all. Those who have supported the outrageous expansion since 1992 are part of the problem. This is irrespective of your political spectrum- consecutive or liberal. Diaspora Ghanaians are equally liable for not having the courage to condemn what is wrong.

Government spending has continuously undermine growth. This expansion is being done by diverting labour and capital from the productive sector of the economy. Money for infrastructure has largely gone into supporting the three main arms of government.

Some ministries in appear to overlap with others. Other ministries are also really not necessary to be created. For instance, Minister of Roads, Minister of Waterways, Minister of Aviation, Minister of Transport, Minister of Sanitation, Minister Railways, the stated ministries are controlled by a single minister in Germany (Verkehrsministerium).

Again having an Energy Minister, a Petroleum Minister, an Agriculture Minister, Fishery Minister, Minister of Planning, Minister of Development, Minister of Evaluation and Monitoring etc. This is not helpful to a country like Ghana with a population of less 30 million. More so, each of these ministries have two or more deputy ministers, which is duplication and replication of jobs, and waste of money. In fact this is not only a waste of labour but a drain on resources. One would not care much if Ghana has 100 ministers, but the positions come with other luxury entitlements and unimaginable freebies. These luxury entitlements are at the expense of the poor tax payers.

Freebies:
People who enjoy everything for free, do not think about the people that they are supposed to serve, and they do not have any compassion for the vulnerable in society. Germany with a population of about 82 million has 15 ministers, Ghana with a population of about 27 million has no justification of having more than 15 ministers.

The regional ministerial positions should be entirely scrapped. Ghana is not a federal state. Ghana should consider abolishing the Council of State. It has outlived its usefulness, become partisan, ineffective and a duplication of function. It must be noted that the President has several special advisors on government payroll. As such, it is a drain on the national purse. It must therefore be abolished. 

Ghana is capable of saving millions of Cedis per month. This monthly savings can be used to provide portable drinking and hygienic toilets to all Ghanaians. I repeat there is no shortcut to development. We must do the right thing if we want to catch up with developed countries. Ghana does not need more than 15 Ministers and Ministries. The following portfolios will save the country a lot of money. The below listed ministries will be an ideal for us going forward. These are listed below -

1. Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning

2. Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology

3. Ministry of Trade and Industry

4. Ministry of Food and Agriculture

5. Ministry of Energy

6. Ministry of the Interior

7. Office of Attorney General and Ministry of Justice

8. Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources

9. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development

10. Ministry of Defence

11. Ministry of Education & Health

12. Ministry of Foreign & Diaspora Affairs

13. Ministry of Works and Housing

14. Ministry of Information

15. Ministry of Transport

The country has a choice to either continue taking extreme good care for a few or taking care of the masses by investing in infrastructure and also providing basic amenities and jobs to all Ghanaians. Ghana does not need more than 15 Ministers. There is urgent need for downsizing the government for development.

An abstract of the book

"The History of Ghanaians in Germany"
Chapter 33 Ghana -The Way Forward
REDUCE NUMBER OF PUBLIC HOLIDAYS! IF YOU WANT TO DEVELOP 
AUTHENTIC NATIONAL IDENTITY -/DATA
SOCIAL AND VOLUNTARY WORK
NAMING OF STREETS & NUMBERING OF HOUSES IN GHANA
NEED FOR DOWNSIZING THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA FOR DEVELOPMENT

Share your constructive and objective views with us!

Compiled by Desmond John Beddy -/TopAfric Media Network