Ghana’s 2012 budget statement to be read November 16

Ghana’s 2012 budget statement will be read November 16, 2011, Mr. Cletus Avoka, majority leader, announced in Parliament today November 4, 2011.

The budget, expected to be presented by Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor in Parliament, will be the last of President J.E.A. Mills’ first term of four years since assuming office in January 2009.

Government has indicated that it will run a composite budget system for local government authorities this year.

The new system will empower Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). It is under a Legislative Instrument (L.I) 1961 and they will be directly answerable to their budget proposals at the local levels, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development says.

Under the scheme, he said, 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, the GNA reports August 17, 2011.

“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.”

By Ekow Quandzie