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The relative efficiency of land sector public bureaucracies in Ghana

Booth, Colin; Hammond, Felix; Proverbs, David

Authors

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Colin Booth Colin.Booth@uwe.ac.uk
Professor of Smart and Sustainable Infrastructures

Felix Hammond

David Proverbs



Abstract

This article investigates the causes and scale of land-related public service inefficiencies in Ghana. Public choice theorists contend that the primary cause of inefficiency of public service agencies is their tendency to grow excessively. The finding of the study did not support the excessive growth proposition as far as the land-related public service agencies in Ghana are concerned. On the contrary, the evidence suggests that the agencies in question are shrinking in size, with some experiencing deficit budgetary growth rate of approximately ĝ̂'28.71% (Land Title Registry). Large proportions of inefficiencies were rather discovered in nontraditional (hidden) sources, such as insufficient budgets, misallocations of limited funds, and imbalances in the structure of the respective workforces of these agencies. These have led to heightened intensity of rent-seeking activities, inertia, lack of customer care, abuse of procedures, general dearth of professionalism, and considerable delays in the delivery of services. © 2009 Sage Publications.

Citation

Booth, C., Hammond, F., & Proverbs, D. (2009). The relative efficiency of land sector public bureaucracies in Ghana. American Review of Public Administration, 39(1), 80-102. https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074008315373

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jan 1, 2009
Deposit Date Sep 27, 2012
Journal American Review of Public Administration
Print ISSN 0275-0740
Electronic ISSN 1552-3357
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Not Peer Reviewed
Volume 39
Issue 1
Pages 80-102
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074008315373
Keywords Ghana,land policy, land markets, africa, land tenure, bureaucracy
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/999501
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0275074008315373