Parliament approves over GH¢500m for LGS
Parliament on Wednesday approved GH¢506.611 million as budget estimate for the Local Government Service (LGS) to implement its programmes and activities for the 2017 Financial Year.
The approval was given in response to a motion moved by Hajia Alima Mahama, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.
Hajia Mahama said as per its mandate, the Local Government Service exists to support local government deliver value for money services through the mobilisation, harmonisation and utilisation of human capacity and material resources to promote local and national development.
The Service supports the delivery of a decentralised public administrative system, initiates and implements policies and programmes to ensure the delivery of value for money services to accelerate local economic growth and development.
Out of the approved budget of GH¢506,611,253, GH¢487,387,895 is from Government while GH¢19,223,358 is from Development Partners (DPs).
The Minister highlighted some of the 2017 activities to be implemented by the LGS.
They include implementation of legal and regulatory frameworks, human resource audits and capacity building programmes, construction of office accommodation and logistics.
Madam Patricia Appiagyei, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development noted that the inadequacy of personnel at the District Assemblies and the non-functional nature of the sub-district structures were affecting service delivery.
She urged the Ministry of Finance to keep to the net replacement policy and advised the LGS to rationalise the available resources.
On the Performance Management Contract, she observed that it was a novelty introduced by the Service to derive the maximum from its staff.
She also expressed dissatisfaction about the dwindling level of the DPs component of the LGS budget.
The committee recommended that the Service should formulate innovative programmes that would attract donor funding.
To improve upon revenue mobilisation by District Assemblies, it was recommended that revenue collectors should be paid on commission basis to motivate them to mobilise more revenue for the Assemblies.
Source: GNA