Benyiwa Doe Calls For Dialogue

Ama Benyiwa Doe, Central Regional Minister The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, has called for meaningful dialogue and information sharing with the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which share the same development aspirations with the region, in order to develop the region. She said it was necessary to ensure a reasonably broad consensus from major stakeholders on the type of socialand economic infrastructure which will enable the region to take full advantage of the favourable investment channels emerging in the country. Mrs Benyiwa Doe said this on Thursday during the inauguration of the re-constituted regional co-ordinating council in Cape Coast. The council is supposed to monitor, co-ordinate and evaluate the performance of the district assemblies in the region, monitor the use of all monies allocated to the assemblies by any agency of the central government. It is also expected to review and co-ordinate public services generally in the region and perform such other functions as may be assigned to it by or under any enactment. She disclosed that a regional monitory team comprising heads of some technical departments of the council has been inaugurated to undertake regular monitoring exercises to ensure that the assemblies operate within the various regulatory arrangements put in place by the central government, the regional co-ordinating council and the assemblies themselves. She commended assemblies that exceeded their budgeted revenue for last year, and called for re-examination of revenue collection in the various assemblies to fashion-out a more efficient way to mobilize revenue to support their programmes and activities She advised the assemblies to implement a reliable database which will constantly be updated to help them effectively keep track of the revenue trend. She again advised them to establish audit report implementation committees to deal with all issues raised in audit queries. Mrs Benyiwa Doe charged district assemblies in the region to put in place schemes to support and assist brilliant but needy children to pursue higher education so that they can come back after schooling to support the development of their various districts. She also charged members of the council to commit themselves to work hard to help translate the aspirations of the chiefs and people of the region into reality by putting in place concrete policies and programmes that will bring about the better Ghana Ghanaians are yearning for. From Sarah Afful, Cape Coast