Ghana to run composite budget system for local government authorities this year

The government is working out modalities to implement a composite budget system for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) before the end of the year, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, has said.

The new system will empower the MMDAs under a Legislative Instrument (L. I) 1961 and be directly answerable to their budget proposals at the local levels.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said this at the confirmation ceremony of Dr (Mrs) Margaret Kweku as Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive on Tuesday.

He said under the scheme Ministries, Departments and Agencies such as the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service and others would be given financial autonomy to fast-track development at the local levels depending on their budget proposals.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said this would complete the decentralization processes after the successful implementation of the political and administrative decentralization exercises.

The Minister said all unnecessary bureaucracies had been eliminated but added that procurement processes would be followed.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said an inter-Ministerial Committee for Decentralisation chaired by the Vice President John Dramani Mahama had demonstrated government’s steadfastness in introducing these innovative reforms.

Source: GNA