MMDAs urged to support activities of Social Audit Committees MMDAs urged to support activities of Social Audit Committees

Sunyani, July 30, GNA – The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country have been urged to set up and provide adequate budgetary support for Social Audit Committees (SACs) to build and deepen citizens’ continuous participation in development planning processes.

That would greatly improve residents’ constant involvement in the plan process – selection of projects’ implementation and evaluation too.

Nana Nyarko Owusu, the Advocacy and Communication Officer of the Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) gave the advice when he interacted with Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) on Monday in Sunyani.

Accompanied by Mrs. Esther Tagoe, the Assistant Programmes Officer of the CLGA, Nana Nyarko was in the MCE’s office to introduce the idea behind the formation of the SACs to rally the support of the Chief Executive to enable the Committee to achieve its objectives.

He was also accompanied by members of the SAC comprising representatives from the CSOs, the Municipal Assembly, citizens, organised groups and the media that tracked the Assembly’s expenditure and monitored execution of physical infrastructural projects against shoddy works.

The formation of the Committee was in line with a project that sought to enhance citizens’ knowledge in social auditing and deepened their relationship with the District Assemblies.

MIHOSO international, a health-centreed and social accountability actor is facilitating the implementation of the project in the Sunyani Municipality, while the CLGA, which supports and promotes strong and responsive local government systems are monitoring the project in Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Ashanti Regions.

Titled : ”Enhancing Citizens Participation and Social Accountability at the District Level”, selected CSOs in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development are implementing the nine-month project being funded by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ).

Being implemented in 60 Municipal and District Assemblies in the country, the project among other interventions seeks to empower citizens to effectively monitor implementation of the Assembly’s Action Plan.

Nana Nyarko reminded the MMDAs that the local government Act 936 mandated them to set up the SAC and fund their activities, saying as the project ends in 2020, GIZ would withdraw its funding support and the MMDAs would be expected to take ownership of the SAC.

He pointed out that the Committee was not set up to witch-hunt the Assembly, but to collaborate with it effectively to help block leakages in the Assembly’s expenditure and revenue outflows to promote quality infrastructural development.

Madam Owusu-Banahene lauded the idea of the committee, and expressed the hope that members would work hard to help improve on grassroot participation in decision-making processes.

Thomas Benarkuu, the Director of Programmes of MIHOSO International and focal person explained that the Committee had selected and was monitoring on-going  construction works on female maternity block for the Sunyani Municipal Hospital and boys dormitory project for the Methodist Vocational Training School, also in Sunyani.

The projects, about 70 per cent complete are being funded through the Assembly’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF).

Mr Benarkuu expressed worry that works on the projects had delayed due to delays in release of funds and called on the Assembly to look for other alternative ways to fund the projects to prevent delivery of substandard works.

GNA

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