The Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) has raised objections to several recommendations in the Constitutional Review Committee’s (CRC) final report, warning that specific proposals could weaken the country’s public service architecture and introduce institutional confusion into the management of public finances.
At a press conference in Accra last week, CLOGSAG Executive Secretary Isaac Bampoe Addo said the association’s review of the CRC report, titled “Transforming Ghana: From Electoral Democracy to Developmental Democracy,” focused strictly on reforms affecting the public service.
The association’s sharpest objection is directed at a proposal to grant independent constitutional status to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD). CLOGSAG insists the department is an implementing arm of the Ministry of Finance and must remain so.
“We disagree with the proposal to establish the Controller and Accountant-General as an independent or hybrid-independent constitutional office. The mandate of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department falls squarely within the functional oversight and responsibilities of the Ministry of Finance,” Addo said.
He warned that separating the department from ministerial oversight could create institutional ambiguity, weaken fiscal coordination and introduce bureaucratic duplication. Instead, CLOGSAG is calling for the establishment of an independent Fiscal Responsibility Council, entrenched in the Constitution, to strengthen accountability in public financial management without disrupting existing structures.
The association also objected to a proposal granting the Council of State powers to recruit, vet and make binding nominations to the President for the appointment of the Controller and Accountant-General. CLOGSAG argued that such responsibilities belong with governing councils, which carry the institutional knowledge to make merit-based selections.
On parliamentary oversight, Addo welcomed Parliament’s existing role under the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act, 2016, which already provides for scrutiny of government expenditure and fiscal matters, including through relevant committee oversight of ministries and their agencies. However, he maintained that ministerial oversight of the CAGD must remain with the Finance Ministry.
CLOGSAG is also recommending that the appointment of the Head of the Civil Service be aligned with Article 195 of the Constitution, ensuring governing council nominations are made in consultation with the Public Services Commission. The association further supports amending Article 197 by replacing the permissive word “may” with “shall,” making it mandatory for the Public Services Commission to issue binding regulations for the governance of public services.
On decentralisation, CLOGSAG rejected proposals to phase the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives based on economic or demographic thresholds, and opposed the creation of an Independent Devolution Commission, pointing to existing bodies such as the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) as adequate coordination mechanisms.
Addo commended the CRC for its work and acknowledged that many of the proposed reforms align with the broader goal of strengthening accountability and depoliticising public service. He urged, however, that proposals raising concerns about feasibility and institutional coherence be carefully reconsidered before adoption.