Participants at the 2023 People’s Assembly in Tamale have made recommendations to strengthen the financial systems of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and accelerate development at the local level. The assembly, organized by the Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) in collaboration with the Auditor-General’s office and the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development (MoLGDRD), focused on promoting the full implementation of audit recommendations.
One of the recommendations was the allocation of funds to support the work of Audit Committees at the MMDAs to ensure the implementation of audit recommendations. Participants emphasized that this would strengthen the financial systems of the MMDAs and contribute to development. They also discussed the compositions and functionality of Audit Committees and shared experiences and lessons learned.
The Auditor-General’s reports highlight irregularities in the use of public funds by MMDAs and other public establishments and recommend actions such as the recovery of misapplied funds and compliance with financial protocols. However, many public entities fail to comply with or implement the audit recommendations, resulting in the loss of state resources and weak financial systems.
The event called for increased collaboration between civil society organizations (CSOs), citizen groups, MMDAs, the MoLGDRD, the Auditor-General’s office, and the Internal Audit Agency to promote openness, accountability, and efficiency in managing public resources. It also emphasized the importance of citizen participation and engagement in the oversight of district assemblies’ financial management processes, suggesting the establishment of citizen-led monitoring committees and regular dissemination of audit reports to the public.
The participants’ recommendations aimed to enhance the utilization of public funds, strengthen financial management systems, and foster transparency and accountability in the management of the country’s resources.
