Government sets aside GH¢40m for forty-two new districts
The government has set aside GH¢40 million in the 2012 budget as seed capital for the administration of the 42 newly created districts.
The creation of the additional districts which brings the total number of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to 212 is designed to enhance the decentalisation process by accelerating development at the grass-roots level as well as increase the people’s involvement in local governance.
Addressing journalists at the meet-the-press series in Accra, Local Government Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, said the President, by an Executive Instrument (EI), created the new districts in response to numerous appeals to the government, for the creation of additional districts, to speed up the development of areas that were deemed deprived.
For the EI to take effect, he explained that the next session of Parliament would begin the process of giving a legislation backing to the process to make it legal and, therefore, called on citizens of the new districts which are yet to be officially announced, not to engage in agitation of any sort in protest of demarcations.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo who also briefed the media on the current state of projects being undertaking by the ministry, said his outfit had recently put in place a decentralisation policy framework approved by Cabinet as a result of which an action plan for the implementation of the policy had been put together.
He added that the government had also demonstrated its commitment to deepening the decentralisation programme by improving on the mobility of the MMDAs.
He announced that the government had accordingly, provided 6,000 motor bikes for Assembly Members together with 170 cross country vehicles for all the assemblies.
On rural development programmes, the minister underscored that in fulfilment of the ministry’s mandate as the sector responsible for rural development and its integration into the national economy, a draft rural development policy had been developed awaiting cabinet’s approval to give strategic direction to rural development programmes in the country.
Aside that he said, plans were underway to set up a Rural and Urban Development Unit in the ministry to formulate, co-ordinate and monitor both rural and urban activities with the view to improving the quality of life of the citizenry.
Additionally, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo announced the creation of the Northern Region Poverty Reduction Programme (NORPREP) the objective of which, he explained, was to improve the livelihoods and living conditions of poor rural communities.
He said the emphasis would be on women and other vulnerable groups in the region and would also involve the deepening and broadening of rural development services.
Source: Daily Graphic