Wa West Engaged Stakeholders On Medium-term Plan

The Wa West District Assembly (WWDA) in Upper West Region has held a public hearing with stakeholders to solicit inputs for the district's four-year Medium-Term Development Plan (DMTDP), spanning from 2018 to 2021.

The stakeholders who included; community members, religious and traditional leaders, youth groups, Non-Governmental Organisations among others deliberated on the draft MTDP document and made various suggestions to help officials come out with a workable development plan for implementation.

The public hearing is in accordance with Ghana's Local Government Act, (Act 936) of 2016 enjoins district assemblies as the planning authority in their areas of jurisdictions to prepare MTDP for the purpose of national economic planning.

The Law mandates all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAS) to prepare Medium Term Development Plans every four years.

Mr Edward Laabiir Sabo, the Chief Executive for the District said preparation of the MTDP was guided by the Medium Term Policy Framework of government's: 'Coordinating Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies.'

The programme seeks to ensure poverty reduction and job creation or opening employment opportunities that seeks to propel Ghana to attain higher middle income status in the near future.

The government also looks forward to address challenges of the past and accelerate social and economic development with the framework through effective local governance and move 'Ghana Beyond Aid'.

Mr Laabiir added that the District MTDP targeted improved access to quality education, health, nutrition and living conditions at all levels and ensure house hold food security and income, water and sanitation, local economic development, good governance, climate change adaptation and general infrastructural improvement.

'The district is facing so many challenges ranging from inadequate allocation of resources, infrastructural deficit in education, health and agriculture, armed robbery among others,' he added,

The DCE appealed to developmental partners to continue their support to the Upper West Region by focusing on the poorest districts to enable them stand on their feet to accelerate growth and development to improve living conditions of the people.

Mr Awal Ishawu, the Wa West District Assembly Development Planning Officer, took the participants through various thematic areas of the MTDP in a day's programme.

The plan captured areas such as economic development, social development, Environment, Infrastructure and Human Settlement, Governance, Corruption and Accountability, Ghana's role in international affairs.