Parliament Approves Budget for Ministries, Others

Parliament has approved the 2018 budget estimates for a number of Ministries, Department and Agencies (MMDAs) to enable them undertake their programmes and activities next year.

Some of them include the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation (Ghc183, 632, 577), the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Ghc32, 799, 500), the Ministry of Information (Ghc107, 346, 067) and the Judiciary and Judicial Service (Ghc375, 009, 466).

All most all the MDAs complained of reduced allocation which, they say is not enough to enable them undertake their planned activities.

The Minister of Local Government, Hajia Alima Mahama disclosed that the 2018 Common Fund Formula for the District Assemblies will be submitted to Parliament in January next year to determine the budget for newly created and elevated Assemblies.

Parliament had earlier approved an amount of GH₵359million for the Local Government and Rural Development and its Departments and Agencies for the implementation of its planned activities for the 2018 fiscal year.

According to the Local Government Minister, new district assemblies and municipals budget is before Parliament as well as the Legislative Instrument (LI).

“The budget is now before Parliament, the LI is also In Parliament, we cannot budget for those districts within this budget, until the LIs mature.

“So, until they mature you cannot ask for any money for any districts. That is why we are saying we will take seed money from the district assembly common fund to start the districts” she explained.

Government has elevated 28 existing Districts to Municipal status, while 39 new MMDAs are being created.

For 2018, the Ministry under local level development management intends to establish one public park in each region, train 3,000 youth in technical and vocational skills, resolve district boundaries disputes, develop local government financial management bill, and issue fee fixing guidelines among other.

By: Christian Kpesese/ thePublisher