MLGRD builds capacity of newly created assemblies

Mr Julius Debrah, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, on Thursday said the Ministry had released an initial Gh¢100,000.00 to purchase equipment and furniture for the start- up of each of the newly created 46 district assemblies.

Additionally the Ministry has purchased vehicles for the official use of the chief executives of the newly created districts. Each of the vehicles costs GH¢86,330.00.

Mr Debrah said this on the floor of Parliament in response to a question asked by the Member of Parliament for Yagaba/ Kubori, as to when the Ministry would pay the Mamprugu Moadori District the Gh¢1,000,000.00 promised it during its inauguration.

The Minister said the amounts released for the purchase of equipment and furniture and the official vehicles for the 46 district chief executives was part of the one million Ghana cedis the Government promised as seed money for the establishment of each of the assemblies.

“The remaining balance is being used to construct administration blocks for each of the assemblies,” Mr Debrah said, which attracted an overwhelming interest from the legislators, particularly from the Minority side.

They expressed surprise at the Minister’s response wondering where the rest of the one million Ghana cedis seed money had been lodged, complaining about delay in the disbursement of the remaining amount since the districts had been created and inaugurated for more than two years.

Mr Debrah replied that the Government had awarded the contract for the construction of administrative blocks for 18 of the 46 district assemblies, adding that the rest were being considered.

The late President John Atta Mills, by an Executive Instrument (E.I), created 46 new district assemblies in 2012 bringing the total number of Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies to 216.

The function of the new assemblies is backed by the Local Government Act 1993 (Act 462), which states their responsibilities as formulating and executing plans, programmes and strategies for effective mobilisation of resources necessary for development of the districts.