By Benjamin Adamafio Commey/Khareema
Thompson, GNA
Accra, Jan. 21, GNA – The German government
has underlined its readiness to stand with Ghana every step of the way to grow
its economy and end its over-reliance on development assistance.
Ms Dorothee Dinkelaker, the Head of
Cooperation at the German Embassy, said Germany was well aware of the reforms
being undertaken by the Ghanaian Government in the medium term – the
“Ghana Beyond Aid” agenda.
She was speaking at a workshop organized
jointly by the ‘Government for Inclusive Development’ (GovID), the Ministry of
Finance (MoF) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
(MLGRD) in Accra.
The GovID in its quest to improve on
efficiency in public financial management, has begun an operational planning
workshop to set goals and targets for the 2020 implementation year.
The workshop sought to provide technical
advice, training and organizational development measures to national
institutions.
Ms Regina Bauerochse Barbosa, the Country
Director of GIZ, Ghana, said the vision of GIZ was to shape a future worth
living around the world.
This vision, she said was corresponding to
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve a better and more
sustainable future for all.
“I know that Ghana is particularly eager to
be the frontrunner in achieving the SDGs by 2030 as President Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo, the co-chair of the SDG advocates”.
Mr. Alex Kwarteng, the Head of Budget
Development at MoF, said 2020 was very significant for the government as a
result of the general elections.
He explained that more often than not
elections turned to take a huge chunk of the government’s budget, adding that
the Ministry was therefore working assiduously to ensure that it spent within
the allocated budget.
Mr Kwasi Boateng Adjei, the Deputy Minister
of Local Government and Rural Development, on his part commended the GovID for
organizing the workshop.
He said the implementation of the District
Level Revenue Software within the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District
Assemblies for Internally Generated Funds mobilization had begun yielding
results for the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
“This is quite commendable as it goes to
strengthen our resolve to promoting the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda of
government,” he said.
He expressed optimistism that the
combination of the Good Financial Governance (GFG) programme with the GRA under
the MoF and the Support for Decentralisation Reforms with the MLGRD into the
GovID would provide the drive for accountability.
He said this would also drive local economic
development and deepen the budget and revenue management support at the
national and local levels for effective delivery of government programmes.
Over eighty participants drawn from the
government, private sector, civil society organisations, among others, are
expected to hold discussions and make inputs on how best planned activities
could be implemented to facilitate development.
GovID is a module commissioned by the German
government with support from Global Affairs Canada and it seeks to support
efforts to reform the country’s public financing management for national
development.
GNA