Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Northern Region have been urged to prioritise development projects that directly improve the lives of citizens in their 2027–2030 composite budgets.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Gushegu, Mr Adam Abdul-Hafiz, who spoke on behalf of the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, made the call at the opening of the 2027–2030 MMDAs Composite Budget Hearing in Tamale last Saturday.
He said the hearing provided an opportunity to assess the performance of the assemblies, review their development priorities and ensure that government policies and community needs were translated into realistic and implementable programmes.
Mr Abdul-Hafiz explained that the exercise was being conducted in accordance with Regulation 17(3) of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378). It formed part of a nationwide process involving all 16 regions and 261 MMDAs from October 12 to 23, 2026.
He urged the assemblies to comply with the relevant public financial management, procurement and local government laws, as well as the 2027–2030 Budget Preparation Guidelines.
He said all MMDAs were required to prepare and capture their composite budgets using the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) Budget Module, known as Hyperion, while ensuring that their proposals remained within approved budget ceilings and reflected realistic revenue and expenditure estimates.
Mr Abdul-Hafiz also encouraged the assemblies to strengthen the mobilisation of internally generated funds (IGF) and explore opportunities under the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative to expand their revenue base and support local development.
He further urged them to process all procurement activities through the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) and commit at least 20 per cent of their internally generated funds to capital projects that would directly benefit their communities.
On project implementation, he advised the assemblies to prioritise ongoing projects and settle outstanding obligations on completed projects before embarking on new ones.
He stressed the need for prudent financial management and value for money in the use of public resources.
Mr Abdul-Hafiz also encouraged the MMDAs and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) to incorporate relevant interventions into their development plans and allocate adequate resources to implement them.
He said each assembly was required to present its 2026 budget implementation status, highlighting its achievements, challenges and performance against established indicators, alongside its revenue and expenditure proposals for 2027–2030.
The Acting Chief Director of the NRCC, Mr Sumaila Ewuntomah Abudu, said the hearing offered the assemblies an opportunity to present their budget proposals, explain their expenditure priorities and demonstrate how planned programmes and projects addressed the development needs of their communities.
He urged the teams presenting the budgets to ensure that their submissions were clear, evidence-based and consistent with the applicable budget guidelines and national development priorities.
Mr Abudu also encouraged them to highlight their revenue mobilisation strategies, expenditure commitments, priority projects and expected development outcomes.
BY YAHAYA NUHU NADAA, TAMALE
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