15-10-2011 Bawku Municipal holds composite budget hearings
Narration: The Bawku Municipal Assembly of the Upper East Region has held its 2012 Composite Budget Hearings with a call on the assembly to utilize their priorities by maximizing their revenue generation through the collection of property rates and other levies. Adherence will increase the assembly’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF) which will be channelled to support other departments that are yet to be created in the various assemblies. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo who made the call said the assemblies owe it a duty to device income generating strategies to help speed up developmental projects in their respective districts. Correspondent Isaac Asare sat through the hearings and has filed this report for Radio Ghana.
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Mr Woyongo advised the assembly to take keen interest in the national ongoing composite budgetary exercise since it will go a long way to enhance the financial status of the assembly. The exercise, he explained, will offer opportunity for people at the grassroot to contribute to the financial administration of the assembly. According to Mr Woyongo, Ghana has over the years practice political decentralization, thus bringing governance to the doorstep of the people. In view of the successes and challenges chalked in our political decentralization, it has now become highly necessary to also experience financial decentralization to cater for the financial deficiencies confronting the assemblies so that they can decide on projects and policies to undertake in order to complements government’s efforts. He said government in its quest to promoting internal democracy, will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that accountability is demanded from the assemblies to remove all doubt and misconceptions. The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Musa Abdullai, in his 2012 budget presentation said, the assembly through the efforts of its hard working staff has so far bagged GH¢639,714, through the collection of fees and fines, rates, permits, lands and investment income among others. He said the focus for the year 2012 will be on education and human resource development, energy, roads, enhancement of the private sector and the provision of portable water. He said though Bawku municipality is confronted with numerous implementation challenges, it has been able to chalked remarkable successes in all the sectors of the economy especially in the area of environment, health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation as well as roads and promotion of good governance. In the area of IGF, Bawku Municipal Assembly as at January to June, 2011 has bagged GH¢294, 184.60 out of the projected budget of GH¢686,235.00. The assembly in the year 2009 and 2010 achieved appreciable percentages in their budget estimate. Mr. Abdullai assured participants that the assembly is putting in place prudent strategies to exceed its target for the year 2011 and called for their cooperation and support. A principal Economic Planning Officer at the Ministry of Finance, (MOF) Mr Joseph Antwi appealed to the assembly to ensure transparency in the budget process. He said the revenue situation of the assemblies will now assume more responsibilities since additional departments will be incorporated into the assembly system. Mr Antwi therefore entreated the assemblies to device modern strategies of strengthening their revenue mobilization. He later encouraged the assemblies to partner the MOF in identifying ghost names in government’s pay roll since it was taking a heavy toll on government’s expenditure. He however craved the indulgence of the assembly to have reliable data on all staff working for the assembly. Participants at the workshop expressed concerned about the poor nature of road linking Bolga and Bawku and appealed to the assembly to help revive the situation. Concerns on sanitation, maternal and child mortality and security were also raised by participants.
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