In many developing economies, the debate has been raging over the right size of governments that will be able to handle the challenges facing the people.
This issue has remained on the front burner in most developing countries whose governments have been trying to maintain the right balance between the resources of the country and the size of the government.
Throughout the Fourth Republic, successive governments have found it challenging to fully or effectively account to the people.
Size of government
Former President J. A. Kufuor once said that looking at our circumstances, it would not be out of place to appoint a minister for each of the sectors of the economy.
That was when he was confronted with his criticism of his predecessor, former President Jerry John Rawlings, for appointing too many ministers, whereas he (Kufuor) had appointed more ministers when he assumed office in 2001.
President J.A. Kufuor criticised President Rawlings for appointing 82 Ministers in the lead-up to the 2000 elections. But when he (Kufuor) became President, he appointed 88 ministers. President Atta Mills downsized the government to 75 Ministers and he was still criticised.
President John Mahama increased the size of government to over 90 Ministers (including his three or five wise men) and that was used as a campaign tool against him.
President Akufo-Addo moved the size of his government to 126 ministers in his first term and he was criticised until he reduced it to 85 ministers in his second term.
Subsequently, he realigned seven ministries, namely; Aviation, Business Development, Inner City and Zongo Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, Planning, Regional Re-organisation and Development, and Special Development Initiatives.
Also, the downsizing led to the removal of deputy regional ministers in his second term.
But then all these administrations in the Fourth Republic were considered large and criticised either wrongly or rightly.
Big governments
But come to think of it, big governments increase the bureaucracy and make the effective implementation of government policies and programmes difficult. It also costs the taxpayer a lot of money.
The debate on this issue was rekindled by the late Professor George Ayittey, a retired Professor of Economics at the American University in Washington DC, USA way back in 2013. He suggested at a forum organised by the IEA that the size of government be reduced drastically.
He observed that the size of government, which had grown so rapidly, was suffocating the economy.
Last year, at an IEA Constitutional Review Seminar, the Majority and Minority leaders in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and Haruna Iddrisu, respectively, raised the issue of capping ministers and said the lack of a ceiling for those appointments was unsustainable and a bane of good and efficient governance.
For the Majority Leader, he pointed out that the country needed not more than 35 ministers, including regional ministers.
The Minority Leader, on the other hand, said ministers, including deputy and regional ministers, should not exceed 65.
Politicians lead way
It is a good pointer that the politicians themselves are talking about capping ministers.
But for one thing, the Majority and Minority are not alone in raising this thorny issue because other political actors, including the 2012 Presidential Candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster, had expressed such sentiments in the past.
Others who raised similar concerns were the Founder and former Presidential Candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, and two-time independent candidate (2012 and 2016), Jacob Osei Yeboah. They both have underscored at one point in time, the need for the country to cap its ministers.
Arguments
There are some arguments advanced for the capping of the ministers. They include promotion of cost efficiency in running a government and thereby demonstrating to the citizens that the government cares.
Having a lean government is the best practice globally as it also shows that the government is thinking about the welfare of the citizenry.
There are some arguments for not capping ministers suggesting that you need enough ministers with equitable strength for diverse areas of interests.
Notwithstanding the two positions, once this matter comes up and in view of the fact that our resources are limited, you cannot take such suggestions lightly and downplay it.
Question
But the question is: What is the ideal size of a government?
The size of governments in developed countries is quite small and sometimes not more than 20 ministers of state. It is, however, difficult to compare the situation in developing countries to that pertaining in advanced societies.
The developed countries have moved away from the basic challenges of development as faced by all the developing economies of the world. All the key sectors are in their primary state of development and any government that wants to change the status quo must keep an eye on all the concerns of the people.
After all said and done, I am happy that the politicians themselves have been talking about capping ministers and we expect them to take the lead while the citizenry follow.
As our country marks the 30th milestone of the Fourth Republic, I wish all a happy Constitutional Week.
