Composite Budget Hearing is laudable: Local gov’t expert

22-10-13     

The Director of Policy Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Local Government Secretariat, Gregory Addah, has described as laudable, the on-going composite budget hearing in the various assemblies. He is therefore of the firm conviction that with continuation of the exercise, revenue generation at the assembly level was going to improve for the better, thereby contributing to attaining a vibrant economy. Speaking to Radio Ghana in Bawku, Mr Addah said composite budgeting was one of the key elements necessary to addressing the infrastructural deficit bedevilling most assemblies. It is also an integrated planning process geared at improving public involvement in the decision making process of the assemblies. More so, its sustainability will inure to the fiscal prudence in the management of public funds at the assembly level. Mr Addah, said government in its effort to develop a comprehensive local decentralisation has come out with various policies. One of the policies, he identified, mandates all assemblies to strategize and encourage the development of local economic activities in their budget. Additionally, assemblies under the Local Economic Development policy are supposed to set up implementation committees to make sure they create the enabling environment for local industries and enterprises to flourish. He explained that a vibrant economy is assured when enterprises are made to operate under a healthy business environment. This, according to him, was necessary since it was one of the surest ways for assemblies to generate much revenue to facilitate and execute its development plans. Furthermore,   government in view of the set agenda had officially approved the policy and has made adequate human and managerial resources available to ensure its effective implementation. Commenting on the performance of the exercise in Bawku and the Upper East Region as a whole, Mr Addah said, his outfit was generally satisfied with the output of the assemblies though there were some few lapses with regards to the presentation format and templates. He took the opportunity to commend the District Chief Executives from Bongo, Talensi and Pusiga for taking the bold step to present their composite budget themselves, adding that it was a plus for their respective assemblies as it makes them take ownership of the budget. The Composite budget hearing, he later noted, was a new force in decentralisation and encouraged all assemblies to work closely with all departments under them to enable them achieve a comprehensive report for consideration.

GBC                                                           END                                                      IA/