Accra, 18th December 2023 - The Ministry of Finance held its 2023 End-of-Year Thanksgiving Service and Send-Off service for retired staff of the Ministry. The service was held on Monday, 18th December 2023 at the Inner court of the Ministry.
The occasion was used to thank the Lord for his grace and mercies, as well as to recognize retirees and staff who had performed admirably during the year.
In her welcome address, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance, Ms. Eva Esselba Mends congratulated staff on working tirelessly to ensure a successful year. She made mention of some great accomplishment by the Ministry and commended the Minister for Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta and his team for their leadership and guidance which has culminated in the number of successes in the year.
“Clearly, we have been well guided on this path to recovery. We have received excellent leadership of service. The Hon. Minister of Finance, the Hon. Minister of State, and the Hon. Deputy Ministers have been phenomenal. Your tenacity, resilience and focus are deeply appreciated. We feel truly blessed and thankful to have received seven years of resolute leadership from Hon. Minister and his team”, she emphasized.
Going forward, the Chief Director said, the Ministry will among other things organize a PFM Conference to review and improve public financial management architecture; hold an Infrastructure Summit to streamline the delivery of infrastructure projects in the public sector; implement the 2023 IMF Structural Reforms and complete the debt restructuring programme.
Ms Mends also assured staff that next year the Ministry will continue to work on providing a conducive office environment for staff, adding “we will also enhance our capacity development and skills training for all staff. This is to ensure that as MoF, we can match any Ministry or Finance or Treasury in the world”.
The Minister for Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, in his speech also applauded staff for the tremendous job done in the course of the year. He touched on some achievements by the Ministry during his seven years in office despite the numerous challenges faced.
He made mention of the Ministry concluding the debt restructuring programme and also achieving a Staff Level Agreement on a US$ 3billion IMF, and a number of notable events the Ministry hosted during the year, such as the African Export and Import Bank 30th AGM, the West Africa Monetary Zone meetings, the 2023 Virtual SDGs investment fair, among others.
“Crucially, we also prioritized our collective responsibility to look out for our fellow citizens by partnering with the VRA to donate relief items worth GHC2million and a cash of GHC50,000”, he added.
On international engagements, the Finance Minister indicated the Ministry’s participation in several international and statutory meetings and as the Chair for the V20 Group of Finance Ministers, he announced Ghana, as the home to the V20 Independent Secretariat.
Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah in his sermon, admonished staff to always find their purpose in their service to God and humanity. Citing a story in the Bible where Jesus visited the family of Lazarus and his sister Martha was busy preparing food while Mary, was at the feet of Jesus, listening to the teachings of Christ. The revered Man of God said, there was the need to always find time for ‘food for the soul’.
On thanksgiving, he again referenced Mark 14:3-9 and gave an illustration where a woman broke an alabaster box and anointed the feet of Jesus Christ. This action, he acknowledged, was an expression of an “expensive, public, heartfelt, prophetic and memorial thanksgiving” worth emulating.
The occasion was used to launch the MoF Staff Annual Community Outreach Programme to support orphanages in the country and victims involved in any natural disaster.
Twelve retired staff were presented with Kente cloth, certificates, and undisclosed sums of money. Deserving staff and Divisions were also presented with certificates.
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