Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has questioned why the Office of Government Machinery (OGM) is exempted from government’s announcement of a freeze in public sector employment next year.
According to him, page 230 of the 2023 Budget reveals a higher staff strength ceiling of 3,681, up from 2,111 contained at page 273 in the 2022 Budget. This, he revealed, means government projects to recruit an additional 1,570 Office of Government Machinery workers in 2023.
“The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/Ofori-Atta government announced a total freeze in public sector jobs during the 2023 Budget presentation but why is the notorious Office of Government Machinery (OGM) exempted? Why has this been hidden from the Ghanaian people and the IMF?”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Mr Ablakwa indicated that his argument is against the backdrop that overall public sector jobs are expected to decline from 886,906 in 2022 to 804,240 in 2023. With this, he highlighted that there is projected job losses by a distressing 82,666 persons.
“The fundamental questions are: why is President Akufo-Addo’s Office of Government Machinery not leading by example? If there is opportunity to recruit 1,570 additional public sector workers, why not engage them in more strategic and productive sectors such as Health, Education, Agric or The Interior instead of the bloated, inefficient and wasteful OGM?”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Following government’s announcement of a hiring freeze within the public sector, there have been some apprehension from various stakeholders and unions.
Stakeholders worried about hiring freeze within public sector
The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Mrs Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, for instance, urged government to exempt health workers from its intended freeze on the employment of civil and public servants.
She revealed that the country’s health sector workforce was inadequate and that a freeze on employment in the sector would have dire consequences on healthcare service in the country. Mrs Ofori-Ampofo noted that already they were faced with the exodus of health professionals and needed to get others employed to fill the gap.
On November 30, 2022, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) categorically stated that the announcement made by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, about the freeze on hiring should not apply to public universities.
It expressed that the whole of 2022 has thus far seen no additional staff employed in any of the public universities as a result of lack of clearance to do so. Additionally, it explained that with an expected increase in enrolment for the 2022/23 academic year and the introduction of new program to meet the country’s developmental needs, it will require that more staff are employed.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) wading in on the conversation, fumed over government’s decision insisting it will negatively affect productivity and welfare in the public sector.
Secretary-General of the TUC, Dr. Yaw Baah, stated that the effectiveness in service delivery will be affected and the workers who are working will have to share the burden of those who have retired without any compensation.
He noted that the union was willing to work with the government to ensure a compromise.
READ ALSO: AGI Urges Government To Improve Domestic Production And Industrialization
