Trends in Public Sector Reforms

Abstract

The public sector has an enormous impact on all citizens in Ghana and other African countries for the following reasons: (a) it provides goods and services (sanitation, water, electricity) that are important for development; (b) it seeks to promote the general welfare of citizens; (c) it spearheads economic policy making and management; (d) it is responsible for the maintenance of law and order. To the ordinary citizen, the public sector provides passable roads during the rainy season, clinics with drugs and qualified personnel to go to when he/she is ill and well-equipped schools for his/her children to attend. It has been pointed out that one dominating interest in the public sector is the public interest, which sets limits to the influence of the self-interests in politics and administration. Against this background, this chapter addresses the following issues: a) reviews the literature on the reform of the public sector in Ghana in the pre and post-structural adjustment programme (SAP) period; b) identifies the major thrust of the reforms and the factors that have contributed to either their success or failure; and c) recommends measures that can be implemented to move forward the reform of public sector