body-container-line-1
23.05.2018 Business & Finance

MCE Pushes For Active Involvement Of MMDCEs In The Award Of Central Government Projects

By GNA
MCE Pushes For Active Involvement Of MMDCEs In The Award Of Central Government Projects
23.05.2018 LISTEN

Mr John Kofi Donyina, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Techiman, has called for the involvement of the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the award of central government projects in communities that are under jurisdiction.

That, he said, was important to allow for effective monitoring and supervision to achieve value for money.

He made the call when the Public Interest Accountability Committee (PIAC) and the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) visited Techiman to engage with the people and undertake a tour of inspection of oil revenue funded projects in selected communities.

This was done with support from the German Development Corporation (GIZ) under its good governance project.

Mr. Donyina said he was surprised to learn that the upgrading of Hansua roads was partially funded with the oil revenue.

The people were unaware they were benefiting from the oil revenue.

Mr. Ebenezer Amoah, the Municipal Planning Officer, spoke of instances where contractors would only come to the assembly with documents showing they had been awarded the contract to execute projects.

He said the involvement of the assemblies was necessary to properly scrutinize the contract before certificates were issued for payment.

Mr. Ernest Boom, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Maintenance Engineer of the Department of Urban Roads, expressed discomfort with the situation where payments for projects done in Techiman were made in Accra.

That, he noted, made it difficult for them to ensure that contract specifications were met.

He made reference to the road project and said it was 65 percent complete but the information received from the Roads and Highways Ministry indicated that it was 99 percent.

He had certified parts of the contract which had been completed by the contractors.

Mr Boom talked about situations when payments notices were received from the Ministry of Finance, without specifying the exact sources of funding.

At the Techiman Senior High School (SHS), Mr. Jacob Afful, the Headmaster, said free SHS policy had brought tremendous relief to parents, many of them struggled to send their children to school.

It had been supplied with textbooks, marker boards and computers for the 756 students made up of 692 boarders and 64 day students.

The SHS had received GH¢135,724.52 for the first term and GH¢118,264.49 for the second term.

body-container-line