In his opening address, the Presiding Member for Tano South District Assembly, John Dadzie lauded Tim Africa Aid Ghana for organizing such programme to educate citizenry to take part in the Assembly’s decision making processes and urged all participants to contribute their quota to make the programme a success.

On the theme: “Building Transparency, Participation and Feedback around Local Government Budgeting and Planning System’’, Mr. Ernest Kusi, the Director of Tim Africa Aid Ghana is very important because the Local Government System which became operational in 1980, encouraged rural folks to take part in the Local Government Planning and Budgeting System.

He said since Ghana’s 1992 Constitution mandates all citizenry to demand accountability from the management of the various Government Institutions and Agencies, his outfit will continue to sensitize the public on Local Government Planning and Budgeting System to ensure that the needs of the people are provided by the government.   

The Chief Planning Officer for the Tano South District Assembly, Mr David Owusu Ansah who took the participants through planning concept defined planning as a roadmap leading to development agenda.

He said that the Medium Term Planning always has objectives and such objectives are the main vision of the government.

Mr Ansah said, planning goes with objectives, execution and implementation and stressed that since planning brings development, there is the need for the Assembly to plan effectively and efficiently to ensure people acquire schools, hospitals, road, electricity etc.

The Budget Officer for Tano South District Assembly, Mr Isaac Owusu Sekyere said that since Planning goes with budgeting, there is the need for the Assembly to budget its development projects to ensure the most priorities ones are executed.

He said the Assembly meet the stakeholders to solicit their views before preparing fee fixing and hinted that the Assembly finance its administrative work through the use of Internally Generated Fund.

Present at the meeting were Nana Awuah Boadi, the Bechem Nifahene, Assembly Members, officials from the Assembly and the general public