Regional Ministers resolve to fight corruption

Ho, Sept. 20, GNA - Regional Ministers ended their third conference in Ho with a resolve to improve efforts that would ensure accountability and transparency to achieve good governance.

The commitment was contained in a seven-page Communiqu=E9 read out by Mr Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister on Sunday, to climax the six-day meeting under the theme: "the Better Ghana Agenda, Achievements, Challenges and the Way Forward".

Mr Amenowode is the current Chairman of the Conference. The Communiqu=E9 said the meeting reflected on the role of the Regional Ministers to deliver more "responsive, accountable and equitable development," as well as play their supervisory role of the various levels of local units in their regions.

It observed that government was on course, having made "strenuous efforts under very difficult circumstances to stabilize the economy - fix roads, particularly feeder roads, improve agriculture, manage educational issues better and also working towards realizing the manifesto promise of a one-time payment for health insurance. The Communiqu=E9 said these policies, interventions and directives had resulted in the increase in food production seen in the abundance of grain staples on the market and resulted in the "lowest food inflation rate in 16 years".

It also mentioned the consistency with which inflation was ebbing, currently at 9.44 per cent, and efforts to tackle the housing deficit in the country through the STX Housing Project, which the Ministers want to be "vigorously" pursued.

The conference in its recommendations wanted the proposed Constituency Fund for Members of Parliament (MPs) to be judiciously used for the benefit of constituents; speeding up of the fiscal decentralization process; the Urban Bus System implemented before the year 2012 and faster implementation of the Housing and Street Naming Project.

The Communiqu=E9 said the conference also wanted Government to place priority on the provision of Seed Fund for newly created districts and action expedited by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development on the implementation of Composite Budgeting. The Regional Ministers said they also wanted road tolls to cover more roads; decentralization of the Mobile Maintenance Unit of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to make its activities more effective, especially in the northern regions; better coordination with the Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) in the management of contracts; and licensing of mining companies, and more collaboration among security agencies in the regions.

The Ministers wanted the relevant agencies to tackle the current shortage of liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) throughout the country, provide more milling machines for paddy rice and construction of dams and rehabilitation of existing ones in the northern regions to stop the incessant migration of youth to the south.

It called for control of the rather repulsive aggressive brand promoting methods of the telecommunication companies operating in the country, as seen in the indiscriminate painting private houses in their colours and hoisting of flyers on ceremonial roads.

The Communiqu=E9 assured the President that they (Regional Ministers) would give "fullest support to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs)" to execute programmes as directed by him (President), to improve waste and sanitation management and adopt more innovative employment creation systems. Other areas the Communiqu=E9 touched on were better delivery in education, increasing local development financing, fostering a team approach to political administration, prioritizing performance management and promoting local economic development in innovative ways. 20 Sept. 10