Chief executives warned

Mankessim (C/R), Sept. 28, GNA - The Chairman of the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, on Thursday, warned Municipal and District Chief Executives of the 23 districts benefiting from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) against misappropriation and other corrupt practices, when projects under the Account take off. He reiterated that Ghana was able to access the MCA early, by dint of President Kufuor's credibility, and hard work, in order to step up poverty reduction, and that the judicious use of funds from the Account, as well as that from other donors, would open avenues for more assistance for the nation's progress.

Dr Nduom, who is also the minister for Public Sector Reform, sounded the warning, when he opened a three-day workshop on the 'MCA Ghana Programme Implementation' for 222 key officials of the beneficiary district assemblies, at Mankessim.

Projects being undertaken with the 547 million dollars accessed from the Account, over a five-year period, are for agriculture, transportation, rural development, monitoring and evaluation and programme administration and audits.

Gomoa and Awutu-Efutu are the two beneficiary districts in the Central Region.

The minister also warned that Ghana's participation in the MCA could be cancelled, and she would be penalized, if she failed to abide by the rules for accessing it, and therefore, cautioned that any of the beneficiary districts, which failed to abide by these rules, or slacked in the implementation of projects, would have their "participation cancelled".

He said it was imperative and crucial for the chief executives to be diligent in ensuring that malpractices like wrong procurement, unnecessary delays in implementation of projects and other vices that hinder the well-being of their people, were eliminated, stressing that, "we want the right kind of positive change".

He, therefore, asked all of them to endeavour to study the MCA document in order not to stray from its objectives, as well as ensure that all funds, such as that from the MCA, the SIF and from other development partners, were used to enhance the standards of their people, in the country's bid to achieve a 1,000-dollar per capita income.

Dr Nduom also briefed the participants about steps being taken to ensure "parity, equity and decency" in the provision of amenities and that by the end of next month, standard designs for buildings like schools, as well as for water and electricity projects would be provided, while from 2007, district plans and budgets would include MCA programmes "in all aspects".

"We want new standards for all development partners to agree to. We don't want the old bad standards to be implemented again", he declared. The minister announced that to also ensure good environmental practices, the MIDA had plans to institute an award for the most environmentally clean district.

He gave the assurance that by the end of next month, all "14 key" positions at the MIDA, would have been appointed and in place to accelerate the MCA projects implementation.

Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, also underscored the importance of ensuring the good use of funds provided to facilitate the welfare of the people. He told the chief executives that the government was depending on them to provide the desired leadership and coordination in the implementation of projects and said their development plans, should in this regard, be the "central pillar" towards achieving this. He tasked the account officers in particular to ensure transparency in the disbursement of funds under the MCA, stressing that, it was critical for the projects of the MCA to succeed, "since it is an opportunity to break the poverty cycle".

Mr Asamoah-Boateng, also underscored the importance of environmental assessment, and told the participants to take environmental issues seriously to help ensure that projects meant to facilitate improvement for their people, did not turn out to cause harm.

He directed that environmental desks should be set up for environmental impact assessment prior to the implementation of projects, adding, "if we take environmental issues seriously, we would get more than we are getting in this country".

Topical issues being deliberated on, include 'land tenure facilitation, credit/financial services and agriculture'.