Dan Botwe Encourages MMDAs To Promote Local Economic Development

Mr Daniel Kwaku Botwe, Minister of Local Government Decentralization and Rural Development has reminded Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), of their mandate to promote local economic development.

He added that the Local Government’s Act gave MMDAs the power to implement policies geared towards boosting economic and administrative functions at the community level.

Mr Botwe said during a working visit to the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to reinvigorate the essence of the local governance and encouraged the MMDAs to work towards strengthening the democratic pillars.

He said the law spelt out functions of the MMDAs saying, “District Assemblies shall exercise political and administrative authority in the district” and urged the Assemblies to devise strategies to diligently enhance progress.

“In our localities, we are the government, we are the administrators of the government structure so we must provide services to satisfy our people,” he said.

The Local Government Minister explained that the local government workers played a crucial role in the effective running of the country as such, they must discharge their duties studiously to promote development as well as strive to make the ordinary people feel the presence of the government.

“When you find yourselves working in the local government structure, the whole desire of our people to have a government closer to them would become one of the major tools to achieve that,” he added.

He explained that involving local people in the government architecture enhanced participatory governance and urged that more sensitizations must be done to raise people’s consciousness on the need to pay levies to the Assemblies.

“When people are sensitized, they understand why they should pay basic rates, so, there must be regular announcement and with constant communication, they will play their roles,” Mr Botwe indicated.

He charged the Tema Metropolitan Assembly workers to take steps and generate enough internal funds to promote sustainable self-help development.

Mr Yohane Amarh Ashitey, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, briefing the Local Government Minister renewed his pledge to make Tema shine again.

He said, “If the Regional Minister has launched a campaign of ‘make Greater Accra work’ in line with the President’s vision, then, ‘Make Tema shine again’ agenda is the campaign I would be championing.”

Mr Ashitey said the campaign would also provide platforms and avenues for businesses to thrive, build coalitions that would be aimed at improving the living conditions of the people and residents of Tema.

The MCE said it would be a collaborative effort of all Assembly Members, decentralized and non-decentralized departments, and parastatal organizations, corporate organizations, the Traditional Council, civil society organizations, and development partners, among others.

According to the MCE as part of the mandate of the TMA to manage waste and ensure environmental hygiene in the metropolis, the Assembly has organized 1,156 health promotion sessions on communicable and non-communicable diseases this year.

Mr Ashitey explained that the Assembly also undertook disinfestation activities at various public places such as dumpsites, drains, and markets to do away with rodents, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and other infection-causing agents.