Several Ghanaian government agencies were established by an act of parliament. The nation’s government agencies receive public funds to facilitate their activities. These national agencies could be state-owned enterprises, commissions and authorities. In this post, I will discuss a few of the functional government agencies in Ghana.
Ghana Government Agencies
In Ghana, most of these agencies act as regulatory bodies to ensure that government policies are ultimately maximized. For instance, the role of the Ghana Free Zones Board is: to make available in the free zones, information about investment prospects and offers.
Ghana Civil Aviation Authority
About
GCAA is the agency that regulates the affairs of the Aviation Industry in the Republic of Ghana. They control the country’s air transport system. The FIR (Flight Information Region) in Accra, which consists of an expanded area over the Atlantic Ocean in the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana, Republic of Benin and Togo air spaces are provided air navigation services by the GCAA.
List of Government Agencies in Ghana
History
In 1930, within the Public Works Department (PWD), the GCAA was incorporated as a unit. It later became a department in 1953. In the year 1986, under the PNDC Law 151, the GCAA had become an authority. It replaced the PNDC Law 151 In 2004 with the enactment of the GCAA Act.
Functional Bodies of the GCAA
The GCAA had two divisions after it was restructured in January 2007. The two bodies include the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) and the new GHANA Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The GACL will be responsible for handling the operations, development, and growth of the airport whilst the Civil Aviation Authority(GCAA) will be responsible for managing the airspace activities and ensure proper safety regulations.
Duties of the GCAA
The GCAA undertakes several duties under the GCAA Act 678. They are:
1. To certify and license all operators of air transport.
2. To construct, operate, maintain and manage navigation site.
3. To ensure sustainable growth and development in Ghana’s aviation Industry.
4. Regulating the services of the aviation industry
5. To ensure that within the Accra Flight Information Region (FIR), there is proper management of the airspaces.
6. To advise and update the Government on issues pertaining to the aviation industry.
7. To license and certify aerodromes.
8. To ensure oversights for all aviation industry activities.
Nursing and Midwifery Council
The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana is a regulatory body that oversees the activities related to nursing and midwifery in the country.
In 2013, after enacting the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, the name of the council changed to the Nursing and Midwifery Council from Nurses and Midwives Council of Ghana.
The mandate of the Council
Ensuring that all nursing and midwifery personnel are highly trained with the best practices, thereby securing the health of the populace.
VISION
To have adequate trained nurses and midwives who would discharge health duties efficiently and effectively.
Functions
● Monitoring the activities of nursing and midwifery personnel.
● Training nurses and midwives.
● Enlisting and regulating the activities of the nurses and midwives in Ghana
● Responsible for examining midwives and student nurses to help facilitate possessing a professional license.
Volta River Authority
The Volta River Authority was incorporated as a limited liability company in the year 2014. Following its establishment under the Volta River Development Act in 1961, It became a fully owned subsidiary of the VRA.
Roles and functions
The role of the Volta River Authority (VRA) primarily is to ensure electrical energy supply for domestic, commercial and industrial usage.
The VRA has been harnessing the resources of the volta lake in producing electricity in Ghana for over forty years now. It is Ghana’s major energy infrastructure development agency, responsible for the production and supply of electricity in the country.
Operations
The VRA is in charge of the operations of the two hydroelectric plants on the volta river. Presently, The total capacity of the installed electricity is 2,104 MW. At the Kpong and Akosombo electricity generating stations, both hydroelectric plants on the volta river each has 1,020 MW and 160 MW installed electrical capacity.
Bank of Ghana
History
The Bank of Gold Coast nurtured The Central Bank of Ghana. The agitations to have a central Bank in Ghana was pushed by stakeholders and politicians in Ghana in the middle of 1950 when independence seemed to be fast approaching. Having a central bank in operation means true political independence. After the proposal of establishing the bank was accepted, the bank of Ghana was set to start operations fully by the end of 1956. The new building of the bank housed the Ghana Commercial Bank and the Bank of Ghana respectively.
The Establishment of Bank of Ghana
The bank was established formally On the 4th March 1957 just two days before Ghana had its independence.
Currently, the bank operates under the Bank of Ghana Act 2002 law.
Objectives of the New Bank
● Banknotes and coins issuance
● Redeeming the Ghanian currency.
● To Maintain Ghana’s monetary stability by keeping and using reserves and also influencing the credit situation.
● To act as the Government’s Financial adviser and banker.
Main Departments
1. The Office of the Governor
2. Department of Accounts and Audit
3. The Department of Administration/ Personnel
4. The Issue Department
5. Department of Economics and Statistics
6. The Banking Department
In conclusion, it may be said that the establishment of the Bank of Ghana on 4th March 1957, was indeed a significant landmark in the history of ghana’s financial system.
Functions of the Bank
a. Formulating and implementing monetary policies to achieve the bank’s objectives
b. Aid banking and credit system regulation to enable a financially stable economy.
c. Institution of processes that helps in developing the economy
d. To promote and stabilize the Ghana cedi within and outside the country
E. Systemic payment/settlement promotion, regulation and supervision
f. To maintain and manage the financial services of the country that is outside Ghana.
h. To aid non-banking financial institutions licensing, promotion and regulation.
I. Promoting and maintaining relationships with international banks and monetary institutions.
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission (FC) is a public service institution established in 1999. The commission is responsible for protecting, developing, managing and regulating forests and wildlife resources in Ghana.
Objectives
● To be the corporate body of excellence in sustainable development and management of Ghana’s forest and wildlife resources”
● To conserve, sustain, manage, regulate, utilize and develop wildlife and forests in Ghana.
● Maintaining a quality environment.
● To expand forest areas in Ghana.
The commission aims to onboard stakeholders to help in delivering distinguished services.
Food and Drugs Authority(FDA) GHANA.
What They Are About?
The Protection of the health of the populace by ensuring that all foods, medicines, food supplements, beauty products amongst others are safe for human and veterinary usage in Ghana.
Policy
The FDA through surveillance, licensing, inspecting and clinical trials will continue to ensure the safety, quality, and effectiveness of products.
Technical Committee
They include:
Safety of Vaccines and Biological Products
Clinical protocols
Safety of Medicines
Medical devices.
The FDA as a National Regulatory Body must regulate and ensure all products are of high standard and quality, to meet national and international standards.
All these public bodies have specific functions they carry out which must align with government policies.
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