Wa Municipality to benefit from $175m local government project
Wa Municipal Assembly has been selected to benefit from the Local Government Capacity Support Project (LGCSP) being implemented by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD).
The LGCSP is a $175 million Government of Ghana-World Bank Initiative targeting 46 Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies (MMAs) over a five-year period.
As part of the implementation of the project, the Social Accountability Unit (SAU) of the MLGRD has been organising a series of sensitization workshops on social accountability for key stakeholders in all the regions where the 46 MMAs are located.
Madam Fati Lily Soale, a Member of the SAU of the MLGRD, said the project among other things was aimed at addressing some of the weaknesses of the current decentralisation framework of the country.
The project seeks to strengthen the capacity of the MMAs for accountability in local governance and improved service delivery and provide them with an integrated package of support as well.
The project would target some key reform areas namely: budgeting, reporting and auditing systems revenue and asset management and social accountability identified in the National Decentralisation Action Plan (NDAP).
Madam Fati said the objective of the project is to support government’s efforts to strengthen its inter-governmental fiscal framework and strengthen local service financial management and accountability for improved infrastructure and services in MMAs as well.
Another objective is to improve its citizens’ engagement with MMAs and their perceptions of urban management.
It has four key components which deal with strengthening the fiscal framework for decentralisation, enhancing decentralised urban service delivery, Stimulating demand for accountable governance and service delivery and Institutional and project management support.
Madam Wasila Sufyan, a member of SAU said as part of the implementation strategies, the media would be engaged through a Media Network on Social Accountability (SA) and would be required to undergo some capacity building trainings that would enhance their ability to report well on SA issues.
Mr. Yakubu Duogu, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, said to ensure transparency and accountability, the Assembly had made it a policy that copies of contract award letters were giving to Assembly members of areas where the contracts were located to enable them know the contract details in order to demand value for money from contractors.
The MCE said the Assembly also intended to reactivate its Town Hall Meetings to enable officers of the Assembly, Heads of Departments and other duty bearers to bring out their programmes and activities to members of the public and also respond to questions and queries from them.
Mr. Duogu said Assembly members would also be encouraged and supported to organise community durbars to explain the Assembly’s policies and programmes to the people and also respond to their concerns.
Source: GNA