Assemblies fail to meet target

A number of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the Upper East Region could not achieve most of their targets as a result of directives from government to use budgets allocated for development purposes to fund some components of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).

The Regional Economic Planning Officer in charge of Upper East, Mr. Sagito Issakah said this when he delivered a paper on the topic,” Ethics and Values in Local Governance; The Role of the Media” at a three day workshop on Decentralization and the Media organized by the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) and sponsored by the German Development Service (DED) in Bolgatanga.

The purpose of the workshop among other things was to re-enforce the roles and responsibilities of the Media and Civil Society in advocacy, and to promote participation in local governance at the local level.

Mr. Issakah explained that most assemblies disbursed about 51 per cent of their development funds to support the payment of the NYEP, thereby exceeding their budgets and said this action had affected the achievement of most of the targets of the assemblies.

He indicated that with the introduction of the “talk tax system”, assemblies could now focus on achieving their targets and, urged them to always operate according to their budget and action plans, to enable them execute their projects to the fullest.

Mr. Issakah said assemblies in the region which do not operate according to their action plans and budget would be sanctioned.

He charged assemblies to be committed to their work and said they were established to serve the interest of the people.