Assembles advised to cut down bureaucracy

Tamale, June 7, GNA - Dr Nana Ato Arthur, the Head of Local Government Service on Monday advised members at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDCEs) to guard against the excessive bureaucracies in the discharge of their duties.

He said the continuous habit of some workers at the Assemblies creating bureaucracies at the work place would invariably result in stalling development, which must be stopped now for the country to receive the needed development.

Dr Arthur gave the advice in Tamale during a familiarisation programme with MMDAs and other stakeholders aimed at introducing himself to assemblies as new head of the service.

'It is sad to note that some of our unit heads and even some of the departmental heads who are to ensure that official duties are discharged with a certain time frame, just exhibit laxity.

'In the process, files overstay on their trays without action being taken on them,' he said.

He warned officers who refuse to stay at post especially those at the districts saying: 'It is a common unhealthy practice that some of the officers in the district capitals do not stay at post even though official accommodation has been provided, they prefer travelling between the regional capitals, which put pressure on the limited resources of the assemblies.'

Dr Arthur also advised the Regional Coordinating Councils to effectively monitor the works of the various MMDA's and departments under their watch to facilitate development.

He said, 'Almost all the …MMDA's we dealt with had uncompleted projects dotted around and while they complained of inadequate funds, they were awarding new contracts expected to be funded from the same sources of funding.'

He said he had the vision to promote ICT to improve revenue mobilisation in the MMDAs.

'The revenue base of any assembly is quite crucial for its development' and that most assemblies had huge potentials to improve their revenues to reduce the over reliance on central government.

'It is on this score that I wish to embark on a crusade to ensure that Digital Mapping System is embraced by MMDAs to improve revenue source identification and collection,' he emphasised.

Mr Salifu Saeed, the Northern Regional minister said the confirmation of 22 out of 26 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives MMDCE's in the region provided a relatively stable system for the operation of local government.

He, however, pleaded with the Head of the Local Governance Service to ensure the early release of MMDA's common fund to fast track development.

GNA

By Frederica Kyeremateng/Rashid Mbugri, GNA