Review of local govt law proposed

The Legal Review Committee of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment has proposed a number of major reforms in the country's local government system to make it more responsive, effective and efficient.

The proposals were necessitated by the non-practicability and weaknesses in some sections of the Local Government Act 462 and the LI (1589), which according to the committee, have made the decentralisation process ineffective.

The proposals were contained in a report by the committee presented at a stakeholders meeting in Accra recently.

The meeting was to enable the participants, among whom were represen-tatives of district assemblies and civil society organisations to brainstorm on the report ahead of its submission to cabinet for approval.

Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the sector minister, said that the committee recommended among other things that an electoral college of a district assembly should nominate three of its number for one to be appointed by the President.

He said that the committee advised that the position of the presiding member be scrapped and the DCE made to preside over all assembly meetings. It also called for the replacement of unit committees, urban, town and zonal and area council's with town and village development committees.

He said the ministry is working on the draft report which is expected to be submitted to cabinet by July, adding that the ministry is ensuring that all processes involved are facilitated so that it can be factored into next year's budget.

Safo Kantanka of the Electoral Commission, commenting on the proposals under scored the impact a redemarcation recommendations will have on the electoral areas and constituencies.

Source: The Ghanaian Times