GIZ, in partnership with the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has commenced a zonal capacity-building workshop on public financial management (PFM) and fiscal decentralisation for selected media practitioners and civil society organisations.
The workshop is aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, and oversight in the management of public resources, particularly at the local government level.
Speaking at the opening session, Alhaji Aliu Aminu (PhD), Technical Advisor for GIZ with PAIReD, said the training is intended to address gaps in oversight and accountability that continue to affect service delivery and public resource management.
He noted that weak oversight systems often contribute to inefficiencies in the use of public funds.
“We continue to observe gaps in oversight and accountability that affect service delivery and the proper use of public resources,” he said.
Alhaji Aminu stressed the importance of strengthening the capacity of the media and civil society in monitoring public resources and promoting accountability in governance processes.
“The media and civil society play a critical role in ensuring effective monitoring of public resources and enhancing citizen engagement in governance,” he added.
The workshop is expected to equip participants with practical skills to improve oversight mechanisms, hold duty bearers accountable, and promote transparency and discipline in public financial management.
It will also deepen understanding of fiscal decentralisation and how public resources are allocated and managed within local governance structures.
The programme is being implemented under the Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) initiative, commissioned by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by the European Union and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and implemented by GIZ in partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Finance.
Participants will be trained to analyse local government budgets, track public expenditure, and strengthen investigative and evidence-based reporting on public financial management.
The workshop brings together selected media and civil society representatives from the Bono, Ahafo, Bono East, Upper West, Savannah, Northern, North East, and Upper East regions.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Keziah Porepeya Nsoh | Kumasi
