The Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugre Atanga, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to prioritise projects that directly benefit residents and ensure prudent management of public resources.
He said assemblies must focus on completing ongoing projects, improving revenue mobilisation and ensuring that their budgets translate into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens.
Mr Atanga made the call when he opened the 2027–2030 Regional Composite Budget Hearings in Navrongo, in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, on behalf of the Minister for Finance.
The hearings, held concurrently across Ghana’s 16 regions from October 12 to 23, 2026, are intended to assess the performance of the country’s 261 MMDAs and align their development priorities with government policies.
Addressing participants, the Regional Minister said the exercise provided an opportunity to review the implementation of the 2026 budgets and ensure that community needs were reflected in realistic, properly costed and implementable programmes.
He reminded assemblies that the hearings were being conducted in accordance with Regulation 17(3) of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378), and urged strict compliance with public financial management, procurement and local government laws.
Mr Atanga directed assemblies to prepare their 2027–2030 Composite Budgets using the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) Budget Module, also known as Hyperion.
He stressed that budget proposals must remain within approved expenditure ceilings and reflect realistic revenue and expenditure projections.
The Regional Minister also urged assemblies to strengthen the mobilisation of Internally Generated Funds (IGF), including exploring opportunities presented by the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.
He further reminded them that procurement activities must be processed through the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) to ensure compliance with procurement requirements.
On development projects, Mr Atanga directed assemblies to allocate at least 20 percent of their IGF to capital projects that directly benefit residents.
He also urged them to prioritise ongoing projects with outstanding financial commitments before introducing new ones.
The Regional Minister further called on MMDAs and Regional Coordinating Councils to incorporate relevant HIV interventions into their development plans.
“Above all, programmes and projects should have a clear and measurable impact on the lives of citizens,” he stressed.
According to him, presentations at the hearings must demonstrate the status of the 2026 budget implementation, key achievements, challenges, revenue and expenditure projections for 2027–2030, and the expected outcomes of proposed programmes.
Following the hearings, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives are expected to lead their Budget Committees in finalising the budgets for approval by their respective General Assemblies.
The approved budgets must subsequently be endorsed by the Presiding Members and Coordinating Directors before submission through the Regional Coordinating Councils to the Ministry of Finance by November 4, 2026.
Mr Atanga urged assemblies to approach the budget preparation process with discipline and accountability, emphasising the need to make the best use of limited resources.
“The resources available to us are limited, and we must therefore ensure that they are directed towards priorities that deliver the greatest benefit to our communities. I urge all MDAs to approach the budget process with discipline, responsibility and a strong focus on results,” he stated.
A1 Radio | 101.1MHz | David Azure | Navrongo
