The Western Regional Minister, Paul Evans Aidoo, has stated that over-reliance on the District Assembly Common Fund by some metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives in the region, is hampering development in the MMDAs.
Mr. Paul Aidoo, who was addressing the twenty-two (22) MMDCEs in the area at a meeting on Thursday, noted that “these lapses which impede progress and development, you (MMDAs) would have to strive hard to control”.
He cited some of these “lapses” saying, “there are unanswered audit queries, late submission of reports to the Regional Coordinating Council, National Development Planning Commission, Local Government Service and the Ministry of Finance. There are also several uncompleted projects toppled by low Internally Generated Funds IGFs and inadequate team work in some of the assemblies”.
He said that even though the overall performance of the MMDAs in the region in 2015 was commendable, some MMDAs still have projects, which started in 2009 not completed.
“Yet they are awarding and still requesting for new projects. We are here to review [MMDAs] 2015 performance and I can assure you that any member found to be doing things contrary will not be spared.”
Mr. Aidoo also lamented that “In spite of the numerous achievements of the [Western] region, it is still beset with challenges such as illegal mining operations, degradation of the environment, inadequate educational and health facilities, child labour in cocoa Farms, Smuggling of Cocoa Beans and Chieftaincy and Land disputes.”
Mr. Aidoo asked the MMDCEs to channel greater portion of their financial resources to help address the challenges.
He charged them to sustain the peace and stability reigning throughout the region and to ensure a successful 2016 elections.
–
By Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonlione.com/Ghana