MTEF Training for District Assemblies opens

Accra, July 8, GNA - The Ministry of Finance has started a series of workshops to equip District Assemblies with the requisite skills to enable them to use the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) model in preparing their budgets.

The Framework that is a component of the Public Finance Management Reform Programme (PUFMARP) was introduced by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to enhance efficiency, accountability and transparency in the performance of the financial functions of government.

Mr Amos Kwaku Gaizie, Chief Economic Planning Officer, MOF, at the opening of a three-day workshop for the first batch of District Assemblies, on Tuesday said the MTEF process was to forge a link between planning and budgeting to promote effective development.

The workshops are being held at three-days intervals for Financial Controllers of the District Assemblies in the five districts of the Greater Accra Region, as well as some selected officers of the Regional Co-ordinating Council and would later be extended to the other parts of the country.

Participants would discuss topics including Activity Based Costing, Planning Revenue, Matching Requests and Resources, Budget Implementation and Monitoring and Evaluation.

Mr Gaizie said since the District Assemblies were major components of the public system, it was imperative that the reform was extended to them to help them in the planning and management of scarce resources.

He explained that the framework was to address the weaknesses of the previous budgeting process that was incremental and not informed by any strategic planning process.

He said the MTEF process had no formal structure and, therefore, very convenient for adoption to suit the needs of Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of government.

Mr Gaizie, however, said though the programme was introduced as far back as 1998, the MDAs continued to dwell on the old system of incremental budgeting that was ineffective and inefficient.

He urged participants to take the course seriously to help them to transform the budgeting process at the district level.

Sheikh Isaac Cudjoe Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minster, said the absence of a more standardised system of budgeting at the district level continued to create and perpetuate disharmony, inefficiency and difficulties in the monitoring and assessment of the use of financial resources.

He stated that the workshop was, therefore, very opportune since it would help the Assemblies to appreciate the advantages of the MTEF system over the traditional system of budgeting.

He said prior to the introduction of the MTEF, the line budget system under which the funds allocated, were not performance related, was subject to all forms of abuses, such as misallocation and waste of government scarce resources.

The Minister said as a performance-based budget, not only was the MTEF model participatory, but also transparent, which would promote financial discipline and accountability in the use of government resources.

He appealed to participants to be regular to ensure that they benefited fully by acquiring the needed skills and knowledge to enable them to apply the model more competently.