Design rating system for assemblies -Govt directs EPA

The government has directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to design a performance-based rating system for district assemblies to assess the efficient use of financial resources.
This is expected to inform the future allocation of funds to the district assemblies depending on the efficient use of their resources.

The Director of the Manufacturing and Industry Department at the EPA, Mr Lambert Taabeluon, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, after interacting with representatives of civil society groups at a two-day workshop in Accra, explained that the Presidential directive followed the success of the EPA’s special rating of mining companies under Akoben.

The capacity building programme organised by KASA Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, was to enlighten civil society organisations working in the natural resources and environmental sector on the recent EPA public disclosure of the environmental performance of mining companies in the country.

Mr Taabeluom said the move followed a directive given to the EPA by President John Dramani Mahama that would be implemented next year, to track the use of funds at the district level.

Rating system

The new system for the district assemblies would monitor the rate of development at the district level considering how district assemblies use their share of the common fund allocation to address the needs of communities.

Mr Taabeluon explained that although the indicators are yet to be developed, the main criteria would include auditing of the use of funds from government for development projects.

He said the EPA was expected to come up with indicators that would cover district Assemblies by the year 2014, along the lines of the Akoben ratings.

Akoben

Akoben, an EPA initiative, audits the environmental practices of mining companies using five colours of red, orange, blue, green and yellow, to determine the company that performed badly or best.

Since 2008, the ratings of companies covered under the Akoben have been disclosed publicly annually.

Model for oil companies

Mr Taabeluom said a new model had been developed for oil marketing companies and the hospitality industry.

He said the model for the hospitality industry would cover hotels  rated  three to five stars.

“The indicators are ready and we will, among other things, look at their water usage, waste management measures, and generation of renewable energy to ensure efficient use of resources.”

By Emelia Enin/Daily Graphic/Ghana