Regional Minister calls for judicious use of assemblies' funds

Koforidua, Aug. 12, GNA- The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Francis Osafo-Mensah, has directed District Assemblies in the region to ensure judicious use of resources to avoid waste in the system.

He observed that whilst there had been some remarkable improvements in the quality of work being executed by the assemblies, shoddy work and the use of poor materials for construction works were still recorded in some districts.

Opening a three-day training workshop on the monitoring of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) at Koforidua on Thursday, Dr Osafo-Mensah underscored the need for District Assemblies to ensure "good quality, value for money and excellent output in their project delivery."

He said it would be "a sheer waste of financial resources when completed projects start falling apart, even before the end of the default liability period".

Dr Osafo-Mensah reminded district assembly administrators that the public was looking up to the politicians for good governance, stressing that the assemblies owed it a duty to make Ghanaians live comfortably. "Lets us unite and make a difference in the standard of living of our people", he stressed and urged the assemblies to disburse funds in accordance with laid-down rules.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Administrator of the DACF, Mr Joshua Magnus Nicol, reminded the participants that it was their duty to ensure "transparency, accountability and value for money on any pesewa spent in their areas.

Mr Nicol urged them to disseminate whatever new skills they would acquire to those who did not get the opportunity to be at the workshop. The workshop was organized by the Common Fund Administrator in conjunction with the Institute of Local Government Studies and attracted Finance Officers, Planners, Budget Officers and Local Government Inspectors from all the 15 districts in the Eastern Region.