Northern MMDAs make inputs into 2013 budget

Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Northern Region, have kick-start the process to present inputs in line with the composite budget system into the 2013 national budget.

The five-day exercise, which opened at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council in Tamale on Monday, was to afford all the 26 MMDAs in the region to take turns to present their projects and programmes with their estimated costs for national approval and incorporation into the 2013 national budget.

It was also to enable them to render an account of how they spent funds allocated to them in the 2012 financial year.

A team of experts from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development would sit through the presentation sessions to observe how the composite budget system was working at the MMDAs and offer necessary assistance to enrich it.

The experts would also ensure that the projects and programmes being presented by the MMDAs were in tandem with the Ghana Shared Growth Development Agenda.

The composite budget system, which implementation started in the 2012 financial year, formed part of the government’s financial reforms agenda with the aim to bring as well as channel budgeted funds of all Departments and Agencies at the local level under their respective MMDAs.

Alhaji Issahaku Alhassan, Northern Regional Coordinating Director, who presided over the opening ceremony, said the exercise was to strengthen MMDAs as well as “afford stakeholders to appreciate our plans for the coming year”.

Alhaji Alhassan advised MMDAs to be realistic in their projections and presentations to ensure that they received the needed approval.

Mr Hope Dziekpor, Northern Regional Budget Officer, expressed satisfaction at the exercise, saying it ensured real decentralization taking root at the local level.

Mr Dziekpor said that the presentation of the 2013 national budget by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning would take place later this month.

Source: GNA

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