NALAG urges MMDAs to ensure transparency in contract awards
The National Associations of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) has urged the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to ensure transparency in the award of contracts.
It
noted that some of the assemblies had not demonstrated transparency in the
award of contracts and indicated that the development could erode the
confidence the people had in the local governance system.
According to NALAG, a number of contracts awarded in the districts were
shrouded in secrecy, and added that the development did not allow the public to
perform their role of social audit into those contracts.
The association made the call in a statement issued in Accra on, Sunday, and
signed by its General Secretary, Mr Kokro Amankwah, to mark the Africa Day of
Decentralisation and Local Development (JADDL).
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The Africa Day of Decentralisation and Local Development is celebrated on
August 10.
This day was declared by the African Union under Article 20 of the African
Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralisation, Local Governance and
Local Development, as adopted at the Ordinary Session of the Conference of
Heads of State and Government, held from June 26 -27, 2014 in Malabo,
Equatorial Guinea.
This year, the day was observed on the theme: ‘Fighting Corruption at the Local
level, a sustainable way to transform Africa within its territories.’
Fight against
corruption
In order to have a sustainable way to transform the country from within the
local governance structure, NALAG stressed the need for the assemblies to take
corruption issues seriously.
It urged the MMDAs to be accountable, engage the citizens in participatory
governance, adhere to rules and regulations, and undertake proper project
management.
“Local government corruption is a phenomenon across the world which
destroys the core of development,” it said, adding that “the fight against
corruption is far from being won in the entire system of governance.”
Best practices
In order to find a solution that could potentially limit corrupt
practices in the local government system, NALAG said there were measures which
were considered best practices and should form the core of dealing with corrupt
officials and/or practices.
“Best practices such as improved access to public service, information
disclosure and social audit, creation of action groups, strengthening internal
control systems, publication of annual audit report, as well as people’s right
to information, are very necessary to combating the growing levels of corruption
at the local levels,” it said.
Urging the citizens to keep MMDAs in check in the award of contracts, NALAG
said that would ensure social audit before, during and after specific
projects.
“The disclosure should describe the project in question so that local
communities and civil society organisations (CSOs) can monitor whether the
project objectives are being attained,” it stated.
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Publication of annual reports, the association noted, was one essential aspect
of fighting corruption.
Therefore, MMDAs must adhere to the legal requirement of publishing annual
reports for the citizens to be abreast of the assemblies’ activities and
expenditures.
The statement also mentioned procurement–related audits (PPRAs) as another
major anti-corruption measure.
“PPRAs will help to detect fraudulent and corrupt practices relating to
procuring goods and services.
PPRAs must be conducted to review project procurement, financial management,
contract implementation, and project management practices and any potential
procurement risk,” the statement said.
Corruption destroys
Speaking on corruption, the association said “Corruption maims, destroys and
cripples development.
Corruption at the local level disrupts the progress of the country from the
grassroots and, therefore, it affects the very lives that we intend to change
in our various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.”
NALAG, therefore, called for a united front to nip the canker in the bud.
Graphic Online.