“If Government works well, it means the Local Government is working well" - Nana Addo COMMENDS the MLGRD on effectiveness of work

The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo has commended the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD), Hajia Alima Mahama and her stakeholders, for their tireless efforts towards the sanity and progress of the country.

Nana Addo extolled the effort of the LGRD and attributed that government’s success is on the foundations of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

“If Government works well, it means the Local Government is working well and if government is malfunctioning, then it means the local Government is malfunctioning,” he said whiles speaking at a gathering of Metroploitan and Municipal District Chief Executives (MMDCE’s) and other key staff at the Training Programme of the MLGRD on the Dissolution of Assemblies and Referendum Activities.

 

 

The President is on a three-day tour in the Ashanti Region, the stronghold of the New Patriotic Party.

He paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to offer compliments before inspecting the ongoing construction works on several road and infrastructure project in the Region, which has received much complaints from residents. Nana Addo continued his visit to the Suame Magazine to interact with workers and later addressed a durbar of chiefs at Amansie in the Manso Nkwanta constituency.

In a meeting with Metropolitan and Municipal District Chief Executives and employees at the Longford Royal Center, Odeneho Kwadaso, the president explained that government’s implemented policies like the One District, One factory, Educational and Agricultural policies and the fight for sustainable environment will be effective if the Local Government is operational on its powers.

 

 

“The responsibility is on you. The delivery of these programmes is even greater than it is for Local Government. Reforms have been made in our educational system, agriculture; you are responsible for the development of cash crops in Ghana, the industrial programme, the one district one factory”

“You can see that in every area. The struggle for environmental sanity hopefully the fight against the menace of galamsey and the fight for sustainable environment. These are all programs and policies that cannot succeed without the active enthusiastic involvement of the local government,” he revealed.

He called for full alignment and encouraged them to create a coherent umbrella of association to satisfy the people of Ghana.

Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister speaking at the event on behalf of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council disclosed the significance of the Local Governing Structure for the decentralization system of Ghana and how the impending referendum is key in the country’s progress. He expressed the need to amend Article 243 (1) and Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana for the better Ghanaian administration.

 

 

Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister for Local Government distinct the MLGRD as the engine that anchors the visionary progress of the president of Ghana and assured the president that the Local Government sector have heard his call to work expeditiously in order to attain Ghana beyond aid with renewed focus on internally generated funds.

“I’ll like to assure you that this one government process and effective collaboration is been handled at the regional and district levels through the effective supervision of our regional ministers, the work of the RCC’s and the Assemblies themselves led by the District Chief Executives”

She revealed the effort of the Ministry for Local Government in making internally generated fund a key element in developing the country in the president’s Ghana beyond Aid initiative through a District Revenue Software to administer revenues.

 

 

“…different initiative is working with MMDCE’s to update their revenue database, ultimate revenue mobilization including a mobilized ultimate billing system. To this extent all MMD are to adopt a district revenue software. This software is capable of administering all revenue items, fees, permits, licenses, investments raise and it includes fee payment options and interface with other government systems.”

“We also realized the need to have a strong collaboration with Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority to improve on our spatial planning. This collaboration is ongoing with LUSPA and Ghana Post and the 260 MMDA’s have been sensitized on the implementation on the National Digital Property Addressing system, street naming and also to ensure that they priorize in the TL revenue software.

The Honorable Minister further informed the gathering that the 2017-18 transfer of funds to the MMDA’s has outstripped finances transferred earlier. An amount of GH₵1.2 and GH₵1.3 billion was revealed to be recorded for 2017 and 2018 respectively.

“We believe that in 2019, there will still be more resources moved in” she said.

 

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The Minister also informed and approved the permit given to the MMDCE’s to take responsibility of the various Assemblies until the new Assembly members are sworn in power. She revealed that the National Commission for Civic Education together with the Electoral Commission have set the date for the amendment of the Article 55 (3) to 17th December.

“Mr. President, per Article 243 (2b) Metropolitan Municipal and District Executives are to be responsible for the day to day performance of the executives administrative functions with District assemblies"

 

 

"We have therefore directed accordingly in a letter to the regional ministers that the MMDCE’s should take charge of the day to day administration and the executive  responsibilities of the assemblies however they are not to take any initiative which otherwise would have needed the approval of their general Assemblies or their executive committees. This arrangement will be in place till the new assembly members are sworn in and their assemblies duly incorporated,” she said.