The Ghana Hydrological Authority (GHA) has identified three major outstanding issues affecting its effective operations: the passage of regulations to support implementation of the law establishing the Authority, approval of its conditions of service, and operationalisation of the statutory fund provided for under the law.
The concerns come as the government pledges to address staffing shortages, poor staff retention and funding constraints at the Authority, amid fears that the loss of experienced technical personnel could undermine critical flood forecasting and coastal protection efforts.
Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources Ahmed Ibrahim says the government will work to resolve the outstanding issues and facilitate the recruitment of additional personnel to strengthen the Authority’s operations.
The commitment follows a working visit to the Authority, during which management outlined key challenges affecting its ability to deliver on its mandate.
Mr Ibrahim expressed concern about the growing attrition of experienced personnel, warning that the departure of technical staff could lead to the loss of institutional knowledge accumulated over the years.
According to the Minister, the Authority has an approved staff establishment of about 230 positions but currently has only 89 employees.
He said the government would work with the Ministry of Finance to secure financial clearance for recruitment, including young engineers graduating from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
“We are going to work seriously on them. The regulation will be worked on, the fund will be established together with the board and the Minister for Finance,” he said.
Mr Ibrahim added that the government would pursue approval of the Authority’s conditions of service to help retain experienced workers and make the institution more attractive to prospective recruits.
He urged existing staff not to leave, assuring them that the government was committed to addressing their concerns.
The Minister identified three major outstanding issues requiring attention: the passage of regulations to support implementation of the law establishing the Authority, approval of its conditions of service, and operationalisation of the statutory fund provided for under the law.