CUTS International, Accra, has called on the Government of Ghana to reset and retool its public service delivery systems, warning that inefficient and unresponsive state institutions continue to frustrate citizens and businesses despite ongoing public sector reforms and digitalisation efforts.
The research and policy think tank made the call as part of this year’s Customer Service Week celebrations, stressing that many government agencies still fail to treat the people they serve as customers deserving of quality, efficiency, and respect.
West Africa Director of CUTS International, Appiah Kusi Adomako, said the time had come for government institutions to rethink how they engage with the public and adopt a service culture that reflects responsiveness and accountability.
“Customer service is not only about smiles and greetings, but also about responsiveness, efficiency, and accountability. Every citizen and business that engages a government agency is a customer, and they deserve the same level of respect and service quality expected from the private sector”
Appiah Kusi Adomako, West Africa Director of CUTS International
According to a recent CUTS survey on customer service in Ghana, the public sector performed the worst compared to private institutions, with challenges such as “slow response times, poor feedback systems, and excessive bureaucracy.” The think tank observed that while the private sector has made progress in improving client relations, government institutions have failed to adapt, “eroding public confidence and slowing economic productivity.”
Mr. Adomako said that despite significant investments in digital infrastructure and public sector reform, citizens still face outdated systems and poor communication from key agencies.
“Telephone lines listed on most MMDAs’ websites are out of order – Some agencies do not accept electronic filing. Now it appears the only place where electronic filing works is the payment of taxes to the Ghana Revenue Authority. This defeats the purpose of digitization and reflects weak institutional discipline”
Appiah Kusi Adomako, West Africa Director of CUTS International
Public Sector Service Reset
Mr. Adomako criticised the overreliance on paper-based systems and the use of personal email accounts for official work, describing them as unprofessional practices that weaken data security and transparency.
He said that the lack of institutional responsiveness to emails and calls creates frustration among citizens and investors, undermining both trust and compliance. “This directly affects service uptake, tax compliance, and investment decisions. Good governance begins with good service delivery,” he emphasised.
The organisation warned that Ghana risks eroding investor confidence and slowing economic transformation if its public institutions continue failing to match the efficiency and customer orientation of the private sector.
CUTS believes that an efficient public service system is essential to achieving the government’s broader development goals under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.
To address these challenges, CUTS International has proposed what it calls a “Public Sector Service Reset” – a comprehensive reform strategy that focuses on systems, attitudes, and accountability mechanisms to make citizens the centre of government operations.
“Customer service is at the heart of democratic governance. When people cannot get answers, when complaints go unanswered, when institutions hide behind bureaucracy, trust in government weakens. Rebuilding that trust begins with listening and responding”
Appiah Kusi Adomako, West Africa Director of CUTS International
He urged the President to provide firm policy direction and ensure that Chief Directors and Agency Heads are held accountable for the standards of service delivered under their supervision. Mr. Adomako stressed that good service delivery is a moral and developmental imperative, not merely a bureaucratic function.
“Every unanswered email, every ignored complaint, and every unnecessary delay has a human cost: lost time, lost trust, and lost opportunities. Ghana’s aspiration to build an efficient, accountable, and citizen-responsive public sector cannot be achieved without a cultural shift in how we treat our citizens”
Appiah Kusi Adomako, West Africa Director of CUTS International
As Ghana reflects on this year’s Customer Service Week, CUTS International insists that rebuilding public trust begins with how government institutions respond to the needs of the very people they serve.
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