In a significant development, President Mahama who has pledged to govern with a reduced number of ministries, aiming to limit the government’s size to just 60 ministries as a means of fostering better accountability, cost-efficiency, and streamlined decision-making processes, has reduced the number of ministries from thirty to twenty-three.
In the lead-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections, the then-presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress pledged to keep the leanest government in the history of the Fourth Republic Democratic Dispensation.
“My leaner government will be the cleanest government Ghana has ever experienced. It will serve Ghanaians far better and set higher standards for future governments. What we have now can never be and should never be a yardstick,” he stated.
In the official Executive Instrument dated January 9, 2025, the President exercised his constitutional powers to implement this reduction under the provisions of section 11(3) of the Civil Service Act, 1993 (P.N.D.C.L. 327).
Some ministries have, therefore, been merged with others. Below are ministries that existed under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- that have been revoked by John Dramani Mahama.
1. Ministry of Information
2. Ministry of National Security
3. Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
4. Ministry of Railway Development
5. Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources
6. Ministry of Public Enterprises
7. Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (merged with Local Government)
The announcement has been met with varied reactions, with some applauding the move for its potential to enhance efficiency, as others wait to see how it will unfold.
Source: m.dailyadvent.com
