50 MMDAs to
receive $31.9m under the District Dev’t Facility
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh,Ghanadot
Accra, June 25, Ghanadot - The
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr.
Joseph Yieleh Chireh, yesterday announced that plans were
advanced to disburse a total of $31.9million to 50
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies under the
District Development Facility (DDF) in the country.
The first tranche of the facility disbursement would be done
at the end of July, next month, while the second tranche
would be disbursed at the last quarter of this year.
Mr. Yieleh Chireh flanked by his Deputy Minister, Mr. Elvis
Afriyie Ankrah gave the announcement when he took his turn
at the “Meet-The-Press” in Accra.
Mr. Yieleh Chireh added that the next assessment of the DDF
would be conducted in September next year which would be
extended to the assemblies.
According to him, in order to address the issue of revenue
and expenditure assignment between the national and
sub-national levels, the ministry collaboration with the
Ministry of Finance and other relevant agencies developed an
intergovernmental fiscal decentralization framework to
clarify roles and responsibilities between the ministries
and the MMDAs in the country.
Furthermore, the sector minister intimated that his ministry
after consultation with other relevant stakeholders
including Development Partners prepared and submitted a
draft Comprehensive Decentralisation Policy Framework (CDPF)
to cabinet in March 2007.
He, however, noted cabinet has directed that the framework
should be subjected to wider stakeholder consultation and
re-submisssion, adding “the final
draft policy is now ready for re-submission to cabinet”.
Touching on environmental sanitation policy in Ghana, Mr.
Yieleh Chireh indicated that the Environmental Health and
Sanitation Directorate initiated the revision of the 1999
Environmental Health and Sanitation Policy in 2006 with
support from the Royal Netherlands Embassy.
The draft final report was submitted to cabinet in June 2008
for consideration and endorsement.
The main focus areas which could be considered as the key
challenges of the sanitation sub-sector, he mentioned
include capacity development, information, education and
communications, legislation and regulation and sustainable
financing and cost recovery.
On local government and decentralization under the NDC-led
government, Mr. Yieleh Chireh revealed that the government
had identified three main areas to promote in order to
achieve good governance at local level, namely deepening
local level democracy, accelerating decentralization and
local level development and empowerment.
On the significance of the recently announced Town Hall
Meeting Concept, he explained that the concept was aimed at
creating a platform for continuous interaction between the
government and communities in the districts.
Instructively, this concept is to enable the MMDAs to hold
periodic meetings with people in their communities to
educate them on government developmental programmes and
policies, and also listen to their concerns.
It is also to enable people at the grass roots to demand
accountability from those at the helm of affairs in the
districts.
The Deputy Minister, Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah revealed that
the government was in the process to computerize the Births
and Deaths Department of the ministry to help curb multiply
birth registry and other nefarious activities associated
with the Department.
Ghanadot
