BRIEF ON GHANA LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE 21ST CENTUARY ; ON CORRUPTION,

FRAUD AND ETHIC

PRESENTED BY KETOR KENNETH YAOH,PLANNING UNIT,ACCRA METROPOLITAN ASSEMBLY,GHANA

Ghana in african context

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GHANA IS BORDERED TO THE :NORTH – BURKINA FASSO SOUTH – GULF OF GUINEA WEST – COTE D’IVOIREEAST – REP. OF TOGO

GHANA COVERS A LAND AREA OF 238,533KM2

AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE 21OC – 33OC

POPULATION OF GHANA IS 24.6M

IT IS HOME TO MORE THAN 100 DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS (AKAN – 48%, EWE, GA-ADAGME, GONJA, MAMPRUSI, MOLE DAGBANI ETC …)

POPULAR STABLE FOODS : FUFU, AKPLE, TUO ZAAFI

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BRIEF ON GHANA

THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IS MOUNT AFADZATO (830M)

THE LARGEST RIVER IS RIVER VOLTA WHICH IS HOME TO THE LARGEST MAN MADE LAKE IN THE WORLD LAKE VOLTA

GHANA IS A UNITARY STATE WITH MULTIPARTY DEMOCRACY

SHE IS THE FIRST SUB-SAHARA NATION TO GAIN INDEPENDENCE 0N 6TH MARCH, 1957

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DECENTRALIZATION IN GHANA

Before independence, the Colonial master (British) used the indirect rule Use of traditional authority (Chief) They were used as channels of communication They were used to collect tolls from the local

people

The current decentralisation programme started in 1988

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN GHANA

Ghana has a three tier Municipal and District and a four tier Metropolitan Assembly System

Ghana is divided into Ten administrative Regions (known as Regional Coordinating Councils [RCCs])

RRCs supervise the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs)

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THE STRUCTURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN GHANA

SUB-METROPOLITAN DISTRICT COUNCIL

URBAN COUNCIL

UNIT COMMITTEE

ZONAL COUNCILTOWN COUNCIL

MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY (95,000-250,000)

DISTRICT ASSEMBLY (75,000 – 95,000)

METROPOLITAN ASSEMBLY (ABOVE 250,00)

TEN REGIONAL COORDINATING COUNCILS

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

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DISTRICT ASSEMBLY SYSTEM IN GHANA

There are (170)216 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA)

An MMDA is the highest local political authority

They have legislative, executive and deliberative functions

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Composition of district assembly

1. District Chief Executive (Appointed by the President and approved by 2/3 of members present and voting)

2. Two-Third Elected Assembly Members representing each Electoral Area

3. 30% Government Appointees

4. Members of Parliament from the District

Speaker of the Assembly is known as Presiding Member elected by 2/3 of all members

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SUBSIDIARY (sUB) COMMITTEE

In the performance of its functions, the Assembly works through the Executive and its subsidiary Committees.

The Executive Committee (Metropolitan Authority) performs the executive functions of the Assembly

Metropolitan Authority is composed of not more than 1/3 of the total membership of the Assembly excluding the Presiding Member .

The meetings of the Metropolitan Authority are presided over by the Metropolitan Chief Executive

Presiding Member chairs the Public Relations Complain Committe .

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SUBSIDIARY (sUB) COMMITTEE (CONT’D)

There are Subsidiary Committees of the Metropolitan Authority.

Mandatory ones are; 1. Finance and Administration,2. Development Planning,3. Works,4. Social Services,5. Education,6. Environmental Management7. Revenue Mobilization

Assemblies have the authority to established more Sub-Committee

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SUB-STRUCTURES OF THE ASSEMBLY

Each Sub-Metro consists of between 25 and 30 members made up of all elected members of the Assembly in the Sub-Metro and such other persons resident in the Sub-Metro appointed by the Regional Minister acting on behalf of the President.

There are Town Councils within each Sub-Metro and each Town Council made up of not more than 5 persons elected from among the members of the Assembly and not more than 10 representatives from Unit Committees which are within the Town Councils.

The Unit Committee made up of 5 elected persons ordinarily resident in the Unit and not more than 5 persons resident in the unit and nominated by the Metropolitan Chief Executive acting on behalf of the President.

Non-Formal Education

Unit

MMDCE

Internal Audit

MMDCD

MMDPCU (MPMDO = Secretary)

Social Sector

Infrastructure Sector Financial SectorEnvironmental

SectorEconomic Sector

Education, Youth &

Sports Dept.

SW & CD

Dept.

District Health Dept.

Works Dept.

Physical Planning

Dept.

Trade, Industry

&Tourism Dept.

Agric Dept.

Disaster Preventio

n Dept.

Waste Mgt. Dept.

Natural Resources

Conservation

Treasury Revenue Mobilizatio

n

Education Section

Sports Section

SW Section

CD Section

DMOH Section

R. Birth & Death

Section

Building section

(Works & R. Housing)

Water Section

Feeder Roads

Section

T&CP Section

P&G Section

Coop Section

Cottage Industry Section

Fire Section

NADMO Section

Refugee Section

Game &

Wildlife

Section

Forestry Section

Animal Health and

Production Section

CropServices Section

Agric Extension

Section

Agric Engineering Section

Fisheries Section

Youth Section

Basic Education

Unit

Library section

Urban Roads Dept.

Finance Dept.

Transport Dept.

Budget & Rating Dept.

Internal Disaster

Environ

Health

Central Administr

ation Dept.

Legal Departmen

t

METRO – 16MUN. = 13DIST = 11

DEPARTMENTAL ORGANOGRAM

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Estate,

Loges

Procurement

Administration

HR Mgt

Store

Records

Planning

MIS

PAU (Public Affairs Unit)

Admin, Plan. & Budget Sectors

Food & Nutrition

Tourism Section

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FUNCTIONS OF THE DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES

THE DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES ARE THE HIGHEST POLITICAL AUTHORITY IN DISTRICT. THE FUNCTIONS OF THE ASSEMBLIES ARE DELIBERATIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE. SECTION 10 OF ACT 462 SPELLS OUT EXTENSIVELY THEIR FUNCTIONS

1. RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTRICT (METROPOLIS)

2. EFFECTIVE MOBILIZATION AND UTILIZATION OF HUMAN, PHYSICAL FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

3. DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVEMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

4. MAINTENANCE OF SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY

5. ENSURE ACCESS TO THE COURTS IN THE DISTRICT FOR THE PROMOTION OF JUSTICE

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ADVANTAGES / RESULT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local governance has led to popular participation in decision making by the grass root people through; Public hearing Community Consultation Community technical interface

Community involvement in decision making has become one of the major criteria for assessing Assembly’s performance

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ADVANTAGES / RESULT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Accountability on the part of duty bearers Platform for checking corruption Medium for promoting good ethic with public

administration

Public accountability has also become one of condition for assessing Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies under Urban Development Grant (UDG)

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ADVANTAGES / RESULT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Improvement in distribution of national wealth and development District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) Geo-social development fund / projects eg SADA Socio-economic facilities and infrastructure (District Hospital,

Polytechnics etc) Performance based resource allocation (DDF/ UDG)

Community and citizen contribution towards development of their local areas

Empowerment of the youth and also serves as the basis for capacity building

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disadvantages / challenges / shortcoming OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Non regularized payment of Assembly Members (Councilors)

Poor financial status of MMDAs and poor infrastructure

Perceived poor conditions of service of staff

Bureaucracy and political interference

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ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES

District Assembly Common Fund

Performance Assessment through Functional Organzational Assessment Tool (FOAT) / DDF and UDG

Establishment of Local Government Service to improve human capacity of Districts

Composite Budgeting

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conclusion

Local Government is a system which requires collective efforts of all stakeholders, both

local and international, to address the bias of development as a result of centralized

governance. Though, decentralization is an ancient system of governance, the world is yet

to fully surmount its challenges .

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Platforms such as these serve as the avenue to exchange experiences from various countries and learn other from each other.

We, from Ghana, are grateful for the opportunity to be part of this experience and will take knowledge gained here back home.

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THANK YOU