MMDAs fail to access DDF

Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Julius Debrah, has bemoaned the inability of some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to access the District Development Facility (DDF) because of their poor performance.

According to him, the Assemblies’ inability to access the DDF, a performance-based grant system, was stifling development in their respective localities, a situation he argued, was impacting negatively on the living standards of the people.

“It is sad to note that some MMDAs have failed to access the funding because of their inability to meet the Minimum Conditions and Performance Measures Indicators required, and thus deny their people of very valuable development projects that could enhance the standard of living of their people”, he said.

Mr. Debrah made this observation when he addressed the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) at their week launch celebration in Accra last Wednesday.

The week-long celebration is under the theme: “Strengthening local authorities for sustainable national development”.

The minister said since 2006 to 2011, a total amount of GHc473.4 million had been transferred for five Functional and Organisational Assessment Tool (FOAT) to MMDAs to assist in the implementation of their medium term development and action plans for improved service delivery at the local level.

The DDF was established by the Government of Ghana through the MLGRD and some development partners to ensure efficient provision of basic community infrastructure and services delivery through judicious use of resources.

Its specific objectives are to: mobilise additional financial resources for MMDAs; provide incentives for performance for complying with the national legal and regulatory framework; establish a link between performance assessment and capacity building support and ensure a harmonized system for investment funding and capacity building support to MMDAs.

The resource allocation of the DDF is purely based upon actual performance which is verified in an annual Functional Organisational Assessment Tool (FOAT), an evaluation assessment which is implemented by independent consultancy firms on behalf of the MLGRD.

Commenting further, Mr. Debrah, urged members of NALAG to use their week-long celebration to re-examine their performance over the years and identify the key challenges that were impeding on their developmental agenda.

The local authorities have often been hit with low revenue mobilization, insanitary conditions, falling standard in education, and poor health delivery systems among others.

But Mr. Debrah wants these key challenges to be swiftly addressed to improve the living standards of the people.

To that effect, he entreated the members of NALAG to eschew in-fighting and forge ahead as a united Association with a common objective of ensuring efficient and effective.

The President of NALAG, Alhaji Mohammed Doku, commenting on week-long celebration of the Association commended their members and all who have contributed immensely to ensure the success and 37 year existence of the group.

“We are celebrating our existence for all these 37 years within which the Association passed through various restructuring to enhance its visibility and importance in the community of local government practitioners both international and local levels”, he noted.

He said as the Association celebrates its achievements, it would continue to seek for improved working conditions for its members.

According to him, NALAG would continue to engage the MLGRD on “ex-gratia for our members”.

The NALAG President also urged the government not to make the provision of motor bikes to its members a one-off event.