The review exercise, which is being done barely nine months to the end of the Kufuor administration, is also part of the preparatory work to ensure a smooth transition from the current administration to the incoming one.

It is being attended by Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, chief directors of the various ministries, the top hierarchy of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some members of the Council of State.

Critical issues being discussed include energy, water and food security. Addressing the opening session yesterday, President J.A. Kufuor said since the government was gradually moving towards the end of its term, it was important for the functionaries to meet to discuss the state of the implementation of national policies and programmes with the view to identifying what had been achieved, what could be implemented before the end of the year and what could be carried over to the next administration.

He explained that the chief directors of the Civil Service had been included in the retreat because of the pivotal role they could play in ensuring the transfer of power from one administration to another.

The President further explained that “the aim of the major review process is intended to ensure that government work is sustained to the end”.

He said the retreat was also intended to re-energise the government functionaries, adding, “We want to finish hard.”

The transition period from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to the NPP in 2000 was very short, partly because of the run-off in the presidential election, which was held on December 28, 2001 after the general election on December 7, 2001.

That meant that the NDC administration was left with a little over one week to organise for the transfer of power to the NPP.