MMCEs and coordinating directors trained on UDG

Metropolitan and municipal Chief Executives, and co-ordinating directors in the northern sector of the country have undergone a three-day capacity building on the Urban Development Grant (UDG).

The programme, organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural development, was aimed at introducing them to the new Local Government Capacity Support Project and also to expose them to the roles and responsibilities expected of the various assemblies.

Opening the workshop, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Akwasi Oppong-Fosu, challenged the various stakeholders to work hard since the success of the programme depended on their effort.

He said the government was committed to the implementation of the national decentralisation Action plan, which was in line with the national decentralisation policy framework.

The co-operation between municipal chief executives and chief executives was very crucial in the effective and efficient discharge of their duties to promote and enhance service delivery to the people in their areas.

Under the district development fund (DDF), the government mobilises financial resources as a discretionary funding incentive to support  assemblies which comply with rules, legal regulations and policies in the performance of their mandate.

To show commitment towards the decentralisation process and local development, the government, in collaboration with the World Bank in 2011, developed the Local Government Capacity Support Project (LGCSP) with the new performance-based grant called the urban development grant.

Mr Oppong-Fosu said since the introduction of the UDG in 2012, a number of interventions were being implemented nationwide for the benefit of the people and mentioned some of such interventions as the construction of CHPS compounds, reshaping of roads, the construction of doctors and nurses quarters, among others.

The minister charged the MMCEs and the directors to provide effective leadership to the assemblies, monitor the implementation of annual action plans and also to  ensure the timely production and submission of monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports on the development interventions in their assemblies to the relevant institutions.

He urged them to work hard to ensure that their assemblies qualified during the annual assessment, as failure to do so would be a disincentive to the people in their areas.

“Vehicles meant for this project should be used for the intended purpose to attain the much needed benefit expected of the project”, he added.

The Project Director of UDG, Mrs Levina Owusu, challenged staff of the various assemblies to sit up and work hard to ensure that they do not let challenges overpower them.

She said there was the need for closer collaboration among the assemblies, development partners, as well as the general public to ensure that the various stages of the project were properly managed to attain the needed goals.