Dr. Nana Ato Arthur said this is to enhance the decentralization agenda of the government.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1YkaYaCvI2uHVRNBvxOA16Mpm8TMvbVA”]He told Citi News work will commence after the completion of staff allocation on Wednesday.

Parliament in 2017,  passed a bill to allow the creation of the new districts.

The Local Government Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama, stressed that it will bring development closer to the people.

Dr. Ato Arthur said he is confident of the contribution of the new districts to national development.

“The indication is that, we inaugurate 15^th of this month, that is on Thursday. That is why from the office of the Head of Local Government Service, the staff who will be working in these places, have to be in place by 14^th of March, that is Wednesday, so that by 15^th when they are being inaugurated, the staff will be there already and they will be shown to the community or the people that these are the staff who will be starting the new municipalities,” he told Citi News.

See the full list of new districts below:

LIST OF DISTRICTS

• Ahafo Ano South West District Assembly

• Ahafo Ano South East District Assembly

• Amansie South District Assembly

• Amansie West District Assembly

• Atwima Nwabiagya North District Assembly

• Adansi South District Assembly

• Akrofruom District Assembly

• Adansi North District Assembly

• Adansi Asokwa District Assembly

• Obuasi East District Assembly

• Afigya Kwabre South District Assembly

• Afigya Kwabre North District Assembly

• Pru West District Assembly)

• Pru East District Assembly)

• Berekum West District Assembly)

• Assin North District Assembly

• Gomoa Central District Assembly

• Gomoa East District Assembly

• Asene Manso District Assembly

• Okere District Assembly

• Atiwa West District Assembly

• Atiwa East District Assembly

• Fanteakwa South District Assembly

• Fanteakwa North District Assembly

• Nanton District Assembly

• Bunkpurugu District Assembly

• Yunyoo District Assembly)

• Bolga East District Assembly

• Garu District Assembly

• Tempane District Assembly

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 38 new districts to start work on Thursday appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, the Local Government Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama, said the LI will also give legal backing to other districts and municipalities which have been elevated or split.

She justified the move, arguing that the creation of the new assemblies will strengthen government’s resolve to spread of development across the country through local governance.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Eqim1dunQyKJ1TGGwSEe9Uynz2QQPjln”]“We’ve decided that we need to deepen our democratic process and decentralization system. There are some districts that have grown. We started district assemblies in 1988, the population of some of the district assemblies have even doubled. And the essence of our local government system is to ensure that all persons in the district participate in the governance system and feel part of the governance system. So we’ve decided to increase the number of districts, the districts that are big, divide them into other districts.”

She added that, provision has been made for the yet to be created assemblies in the 2018 budget.

Some of the new assemblies to be created after the passage of the LI by Parliament, include Ayawaso East and North, carved out of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, and Kwadaso and Oforikrom, from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.

Others are the Nanton district, which will be created from the Savelugu-Nanton district, whilst Savelugu will be given a municipality status.

“So we have some districts that the President has elevated into municipalities. So in those instances, they are not new assemblies, it’s just elevating their status so that category is there. And some metropolitan assemblies have grown big and the president thought that he should carve some out and make them their own municipalities. For example, Ayawaso East, which is the Nima area, it’s been carved out to be a municipality, and Ayawaso North, which is the Newtown area, is also a municipality on its own. And Oforikrom and Kwadaso for example, can all stand on their own,” the Local Government Minister added.

Avedzi welcomes new district creation

Speaking about the creation of the new districts, Deputy Minority leader, James Klutse Avedzi, welcomed the creation, but said it comes with its own cost and benefits.

“It involves more bureaucracy, and it also involves additional cost to government because you have to put up the infrastructure to accommodate those new districts that are created. You also need the personnel to work in those districts. That’s the cost aspect, but one other aspect that we could look at critically is about the benefit in terms of development. It facilitates speedy development of those areas,” Mr. Avedzi added.

The last time new districts were created in Ghana was in 2012, and was initiated by late President John Evans Atta Mills.

A total of 46 new district and municipalities were created. The Electoral Commission subsequently created new constituencies within the new areas.

This means that, new constituencies may be created ahead of the 2020 elections, after the new districts become legal and operational.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey & Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Parliament receives LI for creation of 38 new districts appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.