MMDAs trained in good fiscal management

Mr David Osei-Wusu of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), on Tuesday said improving financial management at the assembly level was imperative for local governance as well as development.

He therefore entreated assemblies to adopt stringent measures, particularly on expenditure, to cut down on the excesses that usually was incurred by assemblies due to poor expenditure plan or over expenditure.

Mr Osei-Wusu said this at the opening of a two-day Capacity Building Workshop for finance officers, budget officers, planners and some selected committee members within the over 17 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) of the Western Region on “Composite Budget”.

The workshop, sponsored by the French Ambassador and collaborated by the Ministry of Local Government, is to create awareness on the need for the MMDAs to plan their expenditure.

Composite Budget is therefore a step towards effective fiscal decentralization which aims at ensuring that resources were available for the functions that have been transferred to the MMDAs and  for improving effectiveness and accountability.

Mr Osei-Wusu noted that although Composite Budget had been in existence for quiet some time now, its implementation had rather been slow adding; “We have developed a manual to guide the process of implementation”.

Mrs Evelyn Arthur of the Fiscal Decentralization Unit of the Ministry of Finance, who was the resource person, said the ministry was very particular about fiscal decentralization to the assemblies to enhance their work.

She said participants would therefore be equipped with knowledge, skills and attitudes that were needed for planning at the local level to enhance development within the various MMDAs.

Source: GNA