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| Three of the eight committee members interacting with the press |
The
Parliamentary Select Committee in charge of Local Government and Rural
Development, with over sight responsibilities of the Metropolitan, Municipal
and District Assemblies MMDCEs has paid a working visit to the Upper East
Region.
The eight member committee’s concern is to ascertain, the operations of
the MMDCEs in the disbursement of the District Assembly common Fund DACF, the
District Development Fund DDF, the Disability Fund, the Internal Generated Fund
IGF and Sanitation issues.
This is to enable the committee make recommendations
and forward a report to parliament for further deliberations to ensure
effective and efficient use of monies release by central government to the
various MMDCEs for developmental purposes.
Nine out of the fifteen Municipal
and District Assemblies in the Upper East Region have been visited so far.
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| Chairman of the Committee Hon Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere MP for Tano South |
In
an interview with Radio Ghana the chairman of Local Government Select committee,
Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere, MP for Tano South indicated that on the DACF, the
funds are been utilized as per the rules and regulations.
He however lamented
that, findings on the Internal Generated Fund IGF was disappointing saying the
MDAs have a lot of buildings and telecos mast that they can make enough money
for the development of their various MDA yet they are waiting for DACF.
He
said, the Assemble receives about Two hundred thousand Ghana cedis a year which
quite huge but they end up spending about 80 percent of their money on
recurrent expenditure.
That is on allowances and others and 20 percent on
capital expenditure to the detriment of the people instead of varying the formula.
On the area of the Disability Fund, The chairman revealed that, there was no
any release in 2016, it was 2017 that government disbursed the disability funds
to the Assemblies and 2018 as well.
Some he said received about One hundred and
99 thousand Ghana cadis GHC 199.00, while others had One hundred and 55
thousand Ghana cedis.
Hon. Sekyere stressed that, these monies are lodge in the
various assemblies accounts, not being disbursed yet there are a piled of names
of persons with disabilities PWDs in need of the monies.
The Assemblies he said
claimed, they are waiting for the PWDs to apply before and that some have
applied but they have not being able to set on it.
The Honorable Member of Parliament said that, the DF is for
building the capacity of PWDs such as giving PWDs skills training with start-up
kits, acquiring them ruminants for rearing and not to be giving stipends for
feeding.
The idea he said is for them to grow and be self reliant. He expressed
worry on the health of people, regarding sanitation in some MDAs where human
excreta were siphoned from septic and apply directly on the farms to grow water
million and other vegetables for consumption.
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| Hon Samuel Atta Mills MP for KEEA |
A member of the committee and MP for Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem KEEA,
Samuel Atta Mills in the Central region, stated that, in some the of MDAs,
there are a lot of management problems, some people are holding positions they
do not have the requisite knowledge.
The MP further indicated that, as a
country there is the need to stop the idea of keep transferring non performing
Ministers and hire qualified and competent people to run the affairs of the country.
The Honorable MP said that, from his observation so far, he will opt for the election
of MMDCEs rather appointment because a government cannot perform irrespective of
whichever party that is in power when the MMDCEs are non performing.
Story by: GBCs Emmanuel Akayetis
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