BY Abubakari Seidu Ajarfor
The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Hon. Awasi Opong-Fosu has advised Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies ?s (MMDA?s) to create avenues that will generate more income to boost their IGF instead of depending solely on the central government so that they can be more self-autonomous to achieve the decentralisation goals in Ghana.
Therefore, Mr. Opong-Ofosu explained that the District Assemblies should be effectively involved in the development of their communities by generating revenue through property rates and other social interventions instead of casting hopes on the District Assemblies Common Fund.
He said a total Gh? 56 million would also be transferred to qualified MMAs under the UDG III by the end of the year 2014 with a competitive advantage.
The sector Minister said this when he took his turn at the Meet-the-Press series in Accra to present the programmes, activities, achievements and challenges of the Ministry.
The sector minister said the ministry has the oversight responsibility for the local government sector with the mandate to develop appropriate policies and legislations to promote decentralisation in local governance, environmental sanitation, urban and rural development.
He said the ministry has the policy making responsibility, the ICC?s coordinates between the sector whiles the MMDA?s are responsible for the implementation of the policies.
Meanwhile, the 2013 progress report compiled and launched some few weeks ago by the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on the implementation of the Decentralisation Policy Framework made a shocking revelation.
The IMCC Secretariat, which was then set up by the Government of Ghana headed by a coordinator to ensure an effective implementation of Decentralisation reforms in Ghana, the report findings indicated that in spite of the numerous sensitization activities that the secretariat has carried out and the nationwide circulation of the National Decentralsiation Action Plan (NDAP) and National Decentralisation Policy Framework.
According to them, it is still evidence that some agencies responsible for the implementation of the NDAP claimed that they were not aware of its existence hence the need for more sensitization workshops as well as radio and television documentaries to enable widespread awareness of the NDPF/NDAP.
The sector Minister said Ghana Students Industrial Attachment Programme (GSIAP) had also been launched by the Ministry and had deployed 3,200 students from tertiary institutions to support environment sanitation education, promotion and activities in all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
Findings of the IMCC 2013 progress report stated it emerged that a number of legislations which includes the land Use and Spatial Planning, National Youth and Sports Bills and others are still awaiting Cabinet approval.
However, the Minister noted that the Ministry with support from key stakeholders has developed the National Urban Policy and Action Plan which has now been approved by cabinet.
He said the main goal of the National Urban Policy (NUP) is to promote a sustainable, spatially integrated and orderly development of urban settlements with adequate housing, infrastructure and services, efficient institutions and sound living and working environment for all people to support the rapid socio-economic development of the country.
