Metropolitan Assemblies must be financially independent – Okoe Vanderpuije

The Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South and Chairman of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Hon. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, has called for metropolitan assemblies to be granted greater financial autonomy to enable them to mobilise resources and independently address development challenges within their jurisdictions.

Speaking to Nana Aba Anamoah on Morning Starr on Starr FM, Mr Vanderpuije said the continued dependence of district assemblies on the District Assemblies Common Fund limits their ability to generate adequate resources to meet the growing needs of their communities.

Mr Vanderpuije said he had previously advocated for the six metropolitan assemblies at the time to be granted autonomy to operate independently and take greater responsibility for their development.

He explained that the proposal was intended to give the metropolitan assemblies the authority and capacity to mobilise their own resources rather than depend heavily on allocations from the Common Fund.

“What that meant was that you are giving them the power and the authority to be and to stand on their own feet so that they can bring in the necessary resources,” he said.

According to him, granting these assemblies financial independence would allow them to take responsibility for development priorities within their respective jurisdictions while freeing up Common Fund resources to support other district assemblies.

He cited Accra, Kumasi, Tema and Tamale among the metropolitan areas that he believed should have been given the capacity to operate independently.

Mr Vanderpuije maintained that metropolitan assemblies have the potential to generate the resources required to address their local development needs if given the necessary authority and independence.

He lamented that the proposal had not been implemented, arguing that the continued reliance on the existing funding arrangement has contributed to the difficulties confronting district assemblies.

He further argued that the metropolitan assemblies should be committed to financing and executing development projects within their respective areas while allowing other districts to benefit from the Common Fund.

“We’ve never done that. And until we come to the point to do that, our district assemblies will continue to suffer,” he stressed.

He said granting metropolitan assemblies greater autonomy would enable them to stand on their own feet, mobilise the necessary resources and demonstrate greater commitment to development within their jurisdictions.