Accra, Nov. 18, GNA - The 2010 fiscal year spending from the Consolidated Fund on pro-poor activities is estimated at GH¢2.3 billion, reflecting an increase of 28 per cent over the projected figure of GH¢1..8 billion.

This amount will go to support basic education, primary health care, poverty-focused agriculture, provision of rural water, construction of feeder roads and rural electrification, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor announced in the government's budget to Parliament.

The Minister said an amount of GH¢25.9 million had also been provided to support electricity consumption by poor households, popularly known as the Electricity Lifeline Payments.

"For safety net programmes, GH¢41.5 million has been provided by the Government from the Consolidated Fund."

The Minister said planned HIPC Funds for the 2010 fiscal year would amount to GH¢261.6 million, of which GH¢52.3 million had been allocat= ed for domestic interest payments, and the remaining GH¢168.9 million for sect= oral programmes.

Dr Duffuor said as part of its commitment to equity and balanced regional development, the National Democratic Congress made a commitment in its manifesto to adopt special measures that would accelerate the pace of development of the most deprived areas of the country and to narrow the development gaps between those areas and the rest of the country.

"We have therefore expanded the geographical coverage of the Northern Development Fund to include the entire Northern Savannah and also settingup an authority to co-ordinate and facilitate the implementation of a comprehensive development framework for the Northern Savannah."

Dr Duffuour said total Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) spending for 2010 was projected at GH¢103.8 million.

This amount is allocated as follows:-

* Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty Programme (GH¢12 million);

* Savannah Accelerated Development Authority is allocated (GH¢25million= );

* Rural Electrification Programme, SHEP 4 (GH¢30 million);

* Scholarships for students from deprived regions (GH¢21.8 million); an= d

* National Youth Employment Programme (GH¢15 million). Dr Duffuor said the Government would strengthen its ownership of the=

Multi-Donor Budget Support programme (MDBS).

These, he said would be achieved through a number of interventions s= uch as implementing policies to govern the engagement with our development partners and to improve the effectiveness of aid and dealing with the iss= ues of predictability of donor funds and flexibility of the MDBS Assessment framework to improve disbursement and reduce transaction costs. Others are reconstituting the Sector Working Groups to allow senior government officials to take charge of the process and to ensure regular dialogue on strategic, technical and policy issues; Improving domestic accountability by strengthening the public finance management systems as well as the Controller and Accountant General's Department and the Audit Service; and formulating a Progress Assessment Framework to assess the performance of our development Partners. On the Code of Corporate Governance, Dr Duffuor said it had long been=

recognised that weak corporate governance had been responsible for many o= f the corporate failures in the country. "In order to improve corporate governance, the Government will establish a National Committee to develop a comprehensive Code of Corpora= te Governance for public entities to address the weaknesses and to improve t= he mechanism for its enforceability." Dr Duffuor said the Committee would be given the mandate to identify=

weaknesses and constraints to good corporate governance and also examine and recommend ways of effecting greater compliance.

"The Committee will also advice on other issues that are relevant to promoting good corporate governance practices by public entities in the country, and for aligning it with international best practices." Dr Duffuor noted that a key tool for national planning, monitoring,=

and evaluating policy effectiveness is the availability of timely and credible data. "The efficiency with which data is collected, collated, analysed and=

presented is an exercise which all efficient and successful companies, governments, and nations attach great importance to. The statistical syst= em has somehow lagged behind in the nation's need for quality statistical information.' Dr Duffuor said beginning in fiscal year 2010 Census, government wou= ld move to enhance the capacity of the National Statistical Service and implement statistical development plans that have been on the drawing boa= rd for many years.