President John Dramani Mahama has directed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in regions covered by the Presidential Accountability Series to hold town hall meetings twice a year to account to residents for their performance and use of public funds.
The directive, issued by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, seeks to extend the government’s accountability agenda to the district level, giving citizens a direct platform to question local authorities about development projects, public spending and the implementation of government policies.
Under the new arrangement, MMDCEs must personally lead the engagements and answer questions on their stewardship, including the utilisation of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Internally Generated Funds (IGF) and other public resources.
The sessions will also scrutinise the performance of the assemblies against their approved Medium-Term Development Plans and Annual Action Plans, as well as the implementation of government flagship programmes.
Other areas for scrutiny include infrastructure projects, sanitation, education, healthcare, social protection, local economic development, revenue mobilisation and expenditure management.
MMDCEs will also be expected to account for interventions in youth employment and skills training, support for persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups, security and disaster management, and the status of outstanding Assembly projects and commitments.
Beyond accounting for past performance, the chief executives must outline their priorities and commitments for the next implementation period, allowing residents to assess what has been delivered and what remains outstanding.
The Ministry has directed that the sessions involve a broad range of stakeholders, including traditional authorities, Members of Parliament, Assembly Members, civil society organisations, religious leaders, organised labour, youth and women’s groups, persons with disabilities, business associations, the media and the general public.
Residents must be given adequate opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification on the activities and performance of their respective assemblies.
The Regional Coordinating Councils have been tasked with coordinating and monitoring the exercise, including assessing the quality and inclusiveness of the engagements. The Ministry may also participate in selected sessions or conduct monitoring visits.
All eligible MMDAs are to begin preparations immediately and organise the sessions within a timeframe to be communicated by their respective Regional Coordinating Councils.
The Ministry has further directed the assemblies to make appropriate budgetary provisions within their approved budgets and in line with applicable public financial management procedures.
Describing the exercise as a “priority accountability and citizen-engagement assignment,” the Ministry said the initiative was intended to promote transparent, citizen-centred local governance and strengthen public confidence in local authorities.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
