Composite budget training held for heads of departments

The Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) has held a training programme for various heads of departments to help them in the development and implementation of composite budget for 2013.

Through the training programme the heads would understand the composite budgeting guidelines used in the preparation of the 2013 composite budget and its impact.

Mr. J.B Atogiba, the Chief Director at the RCC who addressed the participants on Thursday, noted that the implementation of composite budget which had remained at the piloting stage for years would help monitor and make government budget very effective.

The programme would help most organisations who do not have a monitoring framework to develop one to help in the implementation of the composite budget.

Mr. Atogiba called for the effective monitoring of the composite budget for 2013 in order not to allow problems that could cause some organisations to want to draw back from the system.

Mr. Eric Oduro Osae, Dean of Studies and Research at the Institute of Local Government, said there was the need for old districtsto support new districts to deepen and develop effective systems to receive the disaggregated plans and budget as well as preparing to develop their own composite budget for 2013.

He said the programme was to support the RCC to develop and implement a credible monitoring and evaluation framework to effectively coordinate and monitor the activities of Municipal and district Assemblies in composite budget implementation.

Mr. Osae said local governments in Ghana were faced with financing gaps and increasingly being challenged to evolve practical approaches to expand.

He urged them to expand their local tax base and revenue through adoption of good practices in financial management and new innovations.

Source: GNA