Tamale — The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu, has called on Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Coordinating Directors (MMDCDs), and all Assembly staff in the region to adopt cost-effective strategies to improve the efficiency of delivering essential services to the public.
He said the significance of Revenue Improvement Action Plan (RIAP) could be a valuable tool to enhance revenue mobilisation for the assemblies.
The Minister made the statement here in Tamale on Friday at the Northern Regional Composite Budget hearing for the 2024 -2027 composite budget year.
The meeting brought together Metropolitan, Municipal, District Chief Executives, Presiding Members, Assembly Members, Regional Heads of Departments and Civil Society Organisation.
The event was concurrently organised for all the 261 MMDAs across the country.
Alhaji Shaibu told the Budget Committees to explore innovative strategies and activities to achieve these common goal, saying, "The MMDCDs must take the lead to advance in initiatives to improve revenue mobilisation."
He stated that to enforce a compliance with approved by-laws and rate imposts, it was important to gazette them to provide a legal foundation for pursuing legal action against defaulters.
The Minister added that the role of the Sub-structures (Sub-Metros, Urban/Town/Area, and Zonal Councils) in the assemblies as established by laws was to execute delegated functions on behalf of the District Assemblies.
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Alhaji Shaibu stressed the need to activate and strengthen these structures for effective revenue mobilisation and the execution of their responsibilities.
He said the use of GIFMIS Financials was a legal requirement and not merely a suggestion to streamline reporting.
This, he said, was to enable prompt decision-making and to eliminate audit irregularities.
He emphasised the need to prioritise ongoing projects to prevent expenditure commitments from resulting in judgment debt and significant expenditure arrears.
The minister added that to enhance transparency and accountability, and for the 2024 Composite Budget to be approved by the General Assembly, it should be signed off by the Presiding Member and the Coordinating Director before submission to the Regional Coordinating Councils and to the Ministry of Finance before November 3, 2023.
