'As the President is working toward Ghana beyond aid, MMDCEs should also aim beyond Central Government aid'', Mr Ebo- Amoah, Head of Fiscal Development Unit of the Ministry of Finance, has said.

 He observed that as heads of Assemblies in Ghana, MMDCEs play a crucial role in the management of the budget of the Assemblies from the conceptual stage to evaluation and performance reporting.

 MMDCEs must provide the needed leadership role in the Performance Financial Management (PFM) system of the Assembly for an effective and efficient public service delivery.

 Mr Amoah made the observations in a presentation at a 3-day refresher course for MMDCEs from the Central, Eastern, and Western regions at Cape Coast in the Central Region on the topic; Local Government Revenues, Distribution, and Management of Public Funds: Internal Control and Auditing Requirements.

 He urged them to strive to adopt mechanisms to monitor and provide feedback to the citizens on revenues generated and its usage.

 Looking at the positive side, Mr Amoah noted that CODVID-19 presented MMDCEs with an opportunity to adopt information technology tools to reach out to ratepayers and automated the revenue mobilization processes to improve revenue.

 According to him, Chief Executives should have a strong leadership commitment and support to ensure improved revenue mobilization and utilization for enhanced service delivery.

 To estimate revenues of the District Assemblies, he noted the need to regularly collect, collate and update data on all economic activities to facilitate revenue projections.

 Revenue mobilized should support socio-economic development and create enabling environment for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to thrive. It catalyzes improved revenue mobilization. He added.

Guided by the Fee Fixing Guidelines issued by the Ministry, district assemblies prepare their Fee Fixing Resolution and make revenue projections on rateable data.

Source: Public Relations Unit (MLGDRD)

The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, Hon. Daniel Botwe has disclosed that the Ministry has constituted a task force to conduct an assessment of the properties of the Department of Parks and Gardens.

He said the task force, as part of its terms of preference, will engage landowners and the Lands Commission to facilitate the proper acquisition of lands for the operations of the Department.

Also, upon the recommendations of the task force, some measures would be taken to resolve land encroachment on the Department’s operational sites in Accra, Takoradi, Wa and Tamale.

He disclosed these at a handover ceremony of equipment and technical working tools to the Department to augment the existing fleets of equipment to facilitate its work.

The equipment includes one tipper truck, two KIA trucks fitted with poly tanks and a water pumping machine, and a Toyota Landcruiser Prado vehicle.

Others are 14 motorbikes, three desktop computers, two laptop computers, 29 mowing machines and three drive mowers. The rest are 24 chain saw machines, 24 grass cutters, four poly tanks and 11 ladders.

He urged the management of the Department to ensure that they are fairly distributed to its regional and district offices across the country.

The Ministry for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, has handed over vehicles and working tools to the Department of Parks and Gardens, one of its implementing Agencies.

The items include a tipper truck, two KIA trucks fitted with poly tanks, water pumping machines, a Toyota Landcruiser Prado vehicle.

Others include 14 motorbikes, three desktop computers, two laptop computers, 29 mowing machines and three drive mowers. The rest are 24 chain saw machines, 24 grass cutters, four poly tanks and 11 ladders.

Handing over the equipment on behalf of the sector Minister, the Deputy Minister, Hon. Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah noted that essential resources enhanced performance, thus the donation was to equip the Department to beautify and maintain among others things, urban road medians as per its mandate.

He acknowledged the challenges facing the Department and assured the staff that all was being done to solve them.

Hon. Korsah commended the Departments for its commitment to exceeding its revenue target from 2019 despite its numerous challenges. He, therefore, urged staff to put the items to good use and called on the public to support the Department to enable it to perform it mandate effectively.