The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Akwasi Oppong-Fosu says the development of the National Decentralisation Policy Framework and National Decentralisation Action Plan is aimed at systematic rolling out of the implementation of tangible activities to promote participatory decision-making and effective service delivery at the local level.
He emphasised that the establishment of the Social Accountability Unit (SAU) is to serve as a focal point for all initiatives aimed at promoting greater transparency and citizen participation in the governance of local resources to strengthened citizen’s claim for effective local governance and service delivery in Ghana to enhance accountability in the use of the resources.
The Minister said this when he addressed MMDCEs, Heads of Department and staff of the NRCC at the beginning of a three day working visit to the region.
The visit was to familiarize with the various activities going on in the MMDAs and also to have first-hand information on what pertains on the ground at the local level and to furnish them with policy decisions for the benefit of the people.
He disclosed the region has been allocated an amount of GHs 54,404,783.20 under the District development facility (DDF) and Urban Development Grant (UDG) for investment and capacity.
On Environmental Sanitation, the Minister said government’s implementation of the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) and the Ghana Netherlands Wash Project as a rural strategy for improving access to sanitation in the country and called on the NRCC and other stakeholders partner the ministry for effective decentralization.
The Northern Regional Minister, Bede Ziedeng in his welcome address tasked MMDCEs and staff to share experiences to deepen the decentralization process.
He announced an intensive orientation programme for all MMDCEs to sharpen their skills and position them to fully manage and execute specialised government projects to make the Better Ghana Agenda a reality and pledged the NRCC readiness to assist the assemblies to realize their objectives.
By: Mashoud Kombat/citifmonline.com/Ghana