The Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has said the government will push to implement the country's decentralisation policies effectively.
She said the country had enough of such policies, and that the government was working towards turning them into practical and measurable results.
She added that decentralisation was about creating opportunities for the accelerated development of communities and improvement of lives.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang was speaking at the 2026 meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation at Peduase Lodge at Aburi in the Eastern Region.
The meeting considered a number of issues aimed at advancing the implementation of the National Decentralisation Policy and Strategic Framework, including financing, increased District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) allocations to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) and the mainstreaming of decentralisation activities into sector budgets.
The committee also received updates on the devolution of key sectors, including education, health and roads.
The development is expected to strengthen the delivery of public services and local development by giving local authorities a greater role in managing services and responding to the needs of communities.
Responsibility
The Vice-President said the responsibility of IMCC went beyond coordination among government institutions, and explained that “our role (IMCC) is not lost on us. It is about the welfare of people, the welfare of the environment; that is the crux of our responsibility. We do this by involving everyone”.
The Vice-President said the approval of the National Decentralisation Policy and Strategic Framework (2026–2030) was an important step in the country’s decentralisation journey.
She said the country was “not in short supply of policies”, and that the priority should now be to develop and execute strategies that would translate policies into outcomes that could be measured.
“I am happy to note that our National Decentralisation Policy and Strategic Framework has been approved by the government.
“It is about implementation. It is about putting forth strategies to allow implementation to take shape,” the Vice-President added.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang further urged government institutions to ensure that their policies and programmes delivered concrete benefits to citizens, adding, “as government, let us translate everything into practical results that are measurable.
“Devolution is very important for us. To ensure that we are working with, we listen, engage and ensure that we are involving everybody,” she said.
Revenue mobilisation
The Vice-President also tasked the IMCC to pay greater attention to domestic revenue mobilisation, saying stronger revenue generation was necessary to expand the economy and create more job opportunities for citizens.
She said revenue mobilisation should form part of the guiding principles of the committee’s work.
Her call underscored the need for decentralisation reforms to be backed by sustainable financing if the new policy framework was to produce the desired results.
Significance
The Executive Secretary of the IMCC, Dr Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, said the committee was meeting pursuant to its mandate under the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).
He said the meeting provided an opportunity for the IMCC to provide strategic policy direction, strengthen inter-ministerial coordination and advance the implementation of decentralisation reforms.
Dr Hoedoafia said the Technical Committee had considered the issues before the meeting, and was presenting them to the IMCC for strategic policy direction and decisions.
The discussants emphasised the need for political ownership, coordination, stakeholder engagement and accountability as the government sought to move the country’s decentralisation agenda from policy development to implementation.
