Dwindling resources a worry to developing partners

The Developing Partners of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGSCP) have complained of dwindling resources to support the Ministry.

That, they it was due to the increasing difficulty in mobilising funds for the activities of the Ministry.

Mrs Kembo TakamGatsing Hermine, the Country Rapporteur for Ghana, African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) said this on the sidelines of its debriefing and wrap up session of a follow up mission to Ghana at the MoGCSP.

The mission is to assess the status of the implementation of concluding observations and recommendations by the ACERWC.

The ACERWC, established in 2001, is to ensure that Africa becomes a continent fit for children by protecting and respecting their rights.

Its main functions include collecting information, interpreting provisions of the Children’s Charter, monitoring its implementation, and giving recommendations to government for working with child rights organisations.

Mrs Hermine said the difficulty of developing partners, in resourcing the Ministry was because Ghana was perceived as a middle-income country and, it would be able to raise sufficient resources locally, to allocate to its social sector.

‘‘From the donor community their trend with Ghana now is to shift from aid to trade. You may have less resources from their part because they also fetch resources from donors who are telling them they are no more willing their resources to Ghana because of its status,’’ she added.

The Country Rapporteur explained that the donors felt that Ghana had the resources but how they were allocated was the issue.

Dr Afisah Zakariah said they would continue to advocate more resources from the Government for their operations.

‘‘As a lower middle-income country, as for funds there are never enough, and we will always need more but we will try and prioritise. Children are key, they are our future leaders,’ she said.

She commended the developing partners for their support and assured them of their collaboration.

Dr Zakariah urged the citizenry to help in the upbringing of children since it was not only the duty of parents to bring up responsible adults for the future.