ISD launches activity to simplify 2018 budget statement

The Information Services Department (ISD) in the Northern region is poised to make every resident within the northern region be acquainted with the 2018 budget statement and government’s laid out economic policies.

According to the ISD it will also do its best by explaining and disseminating the financial statement into simple local language in the northern region for the easy understanding of the people.

In this regard, the Department has launched a 10-day information broadcasting campaign with the view to expose the public to the provisions in the budget as presented to Parliament last year by the Finance Minister, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta. The launch which was held on 9th January, 2018 at the Northern regional coordinating council, brought together stakeholder including the district information officers, commentators, the media, the northern regional budget officer among others.

The Northern Regional Information Officer, Mr. George Akanlo said the exercise would equip the public with the right knowledge on the budget to enable them keep an eye on revenue mobilization, utilization and reporting.

He said, the campaign would also enable them monitor the extent of revelation of all relevant public fiscal information in a timely and systematic manner while creating room for civil society organizations to carry out independent budget analysis and share their findings and concerns with government and the public at large.

Mr. George pronounced that “the campaign would help in highlighting the limitations of government budgets with regard to key sectors or issues in the society; enhance easy detection of bottlenecks, inefficiencies and corruption in the transfer and procurement of public goods and resources to reduce corruption and wastage” The regional information officer however called on everyone especially the media, to help in the campaign in other to achieve the set objective.