President Nana Akufo-Addo is said to be collapsing seven of the ministries he created in 2017 when he took over from John Mahama.
The seven, which include Aviation, Sanitation, Planning and Business Development are set to be absolved by other ministries or agencies.
According to asaaseradio.com, a website with ties to the government, the development follows criticisms about the size of the President’s first government and the ability of the newly created ministries to accomplish their purpose.
With about 36 substantive ministers, seven ministers of state, 48 deputy ministers, 16 regional ministers and 16 deputy regional ministers, the then government made up of 123 appointees is expected to reduce by 30%.
The website also reported that the changes will help the President to uphold the constitutional dictate of choosing a majority of government ministers from Parliament while making sure that the work of Parliament will not disadvantage the executive, even though a large proportion of Members of Parliament (MPs) will be busy with ministerial work.
According to the report, sources at the Presidency have explained that the Business Development Ministry will no longer be a substantive ministry in the yet-to-be-constituted Akufo-Addo’s second term government.
This ministry, which was led by Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, according to the source, will be absolved by the Trade and Industry Ministry.
Again, the Inner-City and Zongo Development Ministry, which was headed by Dr Mustapha Hamid will also go.
It will become an agency under the Office of the President and its remaining functions will be subsumed into the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
The Ministry of Local Government will also take over any yet-to-be-completed work by the Ministry of Regional Reorganisation and Development which is expected to be collapsed.
Again, the Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry, which was responsible for conducting research on the performance of all ministries, and the Ministry of Planning, led by Professor Gyan-Baffour will no longer exist.
Sources at the Presidency say the Ministry of Planning will fall under the Ministry of Finance, which will be headed by former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Other ministries to be scrapped are the Special Development Initiatives Ministry, headed by Hawa Koomson who is the MP for Awutu Senya East, and the ministerial portfolio of Adwoa Safo who was minister of state in charge of procurement.
Finally, the Aviation Ministry, headed by Kofi Adda, the former MP for Navrongo in the Upper East is expected to be added to the Ministry of Transport.
