New local government system out soon

Winneba (C/R), Dec. 15, GNA - A new Local Government Service (LGS) will be operative in the country as from January next year. The move forms part of mechanisms initiated by the government to reform the country's Local Government System, make it workable and acceptable to meet the expectations of the people.

Mr Michael Kobbina Essandoh, Central Regional Chief Director of the Ministry of Local Government, announced this when he sensitized Heads of Departments in the Awutu Effutu-Senya District at Winneba on the new system.

He said under the LGS, all decentralized government organizations operating in Regional and District capitals will come under direct control and supervision of various District, Municipal and Metropolitan assemblies.

Mr Essandoh said under the new system, government has grouped the decentralized departments, agencies, institutions and other establishments into what he described as, "Constituent Departments". He said each district assembly would be responsible for the effective and efficient administration of eleven of such Constituent Departments, while metropolitan assemblies would also be responsible for 17 constituent departments.

The Chief Director said each of the constituent departments shall have one overall head to co-ordinate the affairs of the departments, which had been constituted into one body.

However, members of constituent departments shall maintain their departmental status and administered by sectional heads that would be accountable to the district, municipal or metropolitan directors of their respective constituent departments.

Mr Essandoh said that the position of directorship would be advertised in the national dailies to invite qualified persons including those on-the-job to contest.

The move, the Chief Director said was to ensure that only highly qualified persons were employed to man various sectors of the local government administration so that the people at the grassroots would derive maximum benefits from their services.

He said the era where square pegs were planted in round holes was past, adding that the time had come for the nation to open new vibrant, pragmatic, highly productive and sustainable local government machinery capable of making life better for all.

The new system would not entertain and encourage lazy and unproductive workers, and charged local government employees to develop completely new attitudes to work as from now to avoid punitive measures.

Mr. Essandoh said that in order to make the new system more efficient and effective, the government will, as from next January, embark on mass transfer of workers from the various ministries in Accra to the Regions to strengthen the capacity of work force in the districts.

He said the new system would come out with attractive packages that would entice qualified workers accept postings to rural communities and assist people in those areas to improve their living conditions. Mr Essandoh said that the new LGS would allow ministries in Accra to concentrate mainly on policy formulation activities, because a greater part of their workload would be taken care of by District, Municipal and Metropolitan assemblies.

He assured directors of the new constituent departments that when the system became operative next year, they would no longer encounter much difficulty in their budgetary and other financial transactions. Earlier, Mr Essandoh had discussed issues pertaining mainly to the operations of various government departments and organizations in the Awuitu-Effutu-Semnya District and commended participants at the forum for their punctuality.

He, however, advised them not to make it a nine-day wonder but to maintain the tempo to impact positively on their output. 15 Dec. 06