The Minister of State Designate for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has announced plans for a major restructuring of Ghana’s government communication framework, aligning with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision for a more efficient and technologically advanced system.
Speaking on the proposed reform, Kwakye Ofosu revealed that the Information Services Department (ISD) and the Ghana News Agency (GNA) are set to be merged into a single entity, the Government Communication Office. The move, he stated, is aimed at improving service delivery and ensuring a more effective dissemination of public information.
“What has become clear is that the approaches that have been adopted over the period are no longer fit for purpose,” he explained.
“The ISD used to have cinema vans, but today, if you brought a cinema van to a community, nobody would show up. It means that things have to change, and we have to keep pace with the rate at which technology is revolutionising information dissemination.”
The Minister of State Designate emphasized the need for modernization, stressing that digital communication tools would be prioritized to enhance government engagement with citizens.
“So, Mr. President has a vision of transforming the ISD and GNA by merging them into the Government Communication Office so that they will be able to deliver much better services at a more efficient rate,” he stated.
The proposed consolidation is expected to streamline operations, eliminate redundancies, and leverage digital platforms to ensure timely and widespread communication of government initiatives and policies.