Local government is enshrined in the constitution of Ghana. Since 1988, the government has been pursuing a policy of decentralization and is continuing with this process through major policy reforms. Assemblies are the main units of local government. There are three types: metropolitan (4), municipal (10) and district (124). These assemblies aim to provide a forum for underlying metropolitan, city, area and town councils and decide on major issues as well as assist in coming up with new solutions. This in cooperation with development agencies and representatives from the national government. New districts and assemblies were created in the past decade to increase the focus on certain areas and reduce regional imbalances. Whereas ministers of the 10 regions are appointed by the president, district representatives are elected every four years. At the bottom institutional level local unit councils are formed to provide the linkage with the grassroots level. However, out of the planned 16.000 unit commissions only 8000 are truly active. The latest local elections were held in 2010 and once again planned for 2014, women participation was highly stimulated in the latest elections.
Â
Throughout the 1990s Ghana has implemented legislative reforms to support local government development. For example the 1993 District Assembly Common Fund Act was put into action to facilitate financial management of local authorities. Other developments such as the 2003 Local Government Service Act was created to make local government more efficient, for example reduce and/or merge some of the 16.000 unit commissions. Also training of personnel is deemed an important subject to strengthen the internal organization of local government, to support this aim the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) was founded.
Â
Since then local government development has been somewhat lacking in innovation so that the most recent developments aim at reviewing legislation, making the government structure more efficient and provide local authorities with the necessary funds and trainings enabling them to actually do the work they are expected to do. Now, Ghana is re-energizing the decentralization policy by focusing on adequate service delivery and increasing democratic accountability in 2010. Cooperation between localities, the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) and national government remains a vital precondition for local government success as well as the support of international aid organizations.
|
