Conference of regional ministers ends at Busua
The Conference of regional ministers has called for a review of the small-scale mining law to allow for the confiscation of equipment used for illegal mining (galamsey).The conference has, meanwhile, resolved to take the necessary measures to protect the environment, water bodies, forest reserves and the ecosystem.
Advertisement
These formed part of a communique issued at the end of the three-day regional ministers' meeting at the Busua Beach Resort in the Ahanta West District.
The theme of the conference was "Redefining the Role of the Regional Level in the Governance Architecture." It was also attended by regional co-ordinating directors (RCDs), metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs).
The communique, read by the Western Regional Minister, Mr Ebenezer Addo, said the ministers had also resolved to lend support to the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) by addressing the problems that had bedevilled it, and recommended expeditious action on the formulation of the Ghana School Feeding Policy.
The ministers pledged that they would work with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the other institutions to ensure a higher-than-usual turnout for the district level elections and acknowledged their role in ensuring a free, fair and incident-free voting.
The regional ministers acknowledged that regional level governance was crucial in the decentralisation process and, therefore, asked for it to be strengthened and adequately resourced as part of the local government reforms; pledgiing that, they would deepen the decentralisation process and enhance regional level governance.
GYEEDA
On the the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA) programme, they recommended its speedy restructuring, asking for the responsibilities of the regional co-ordinating councils (RCCs) and the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to be defined in the restructured GYEEDA.
They promised to support efforts being made to restructure the programme to enable it play its expected role of creating jobs for the unemployed youth.
Other Trending Stories
The regional ministers resolved to support the government to stabilise the economy to identify additional sources of funding for the RCCs and recommended that the RCCs should continue to be part of the local government service.
The communique advised labour unions to use dialogue to resolve their concerns in order to promote industrial peace in the country.
The ministers acknowledged that their position enjoined them to provide services for the people and work hard towards achieving the ''Better Ghana Agenda.”
Opong-Fosu
Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, reminded the deleghates that as regional ministers, they needed to ensure strict adherence to policy decisions and ensure their implementation by the MMDAs and departments.
He entreated the RCCs to monitor and ensure the efficient use of resources provided by the central government to the MMDAs.