The government’s commitment to decentralization and job creation through infrastructure development and regional office buildings has been emphasized by Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, Minister of Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development.
In order to localize services and operations and increase management’s effectiveness and responsiveness, he emphasized that the ministry is encouraging local collaboration with varied ministries and organizations.
The Minister said in an interview with Citi News that by moving services closer to the local level, this policy intends to speed growth and improve local economies.
He indicated that “The process is a gradual one, there are very key ministries whose work interface with us and whom the target is on to be sure that we can further decentralise. If we look at education, there is a plan to make sure that we centralise as much as we can.
“So that within the local space, managing education becomes a reality. And then making it much more effective rather than having a unit at the top. Managing a system with a huge base that is later moved to effectively tackle it. The whole concept of decentralisation is to take away power and give to another,” he noted
The Minister added that the government’s establishment of additional regions has improved national representation and encouraged a more inclusive and participatory governance structure.
He went on to say,
“Virtually every facility that exists in the then region, which those far have thought they were not benefiting from and felt alienated or cut off. Today is not the case you put governance to them, and all these facilities are being replicated. So, if you come to the Bono East, they are now going to have a regional hospital. If you go to Sunyani, Bono has a regional hospital and of course that of Ahafo. So, within the same landmass, you are sort of doubling or adding more of the facilities that people critically need.”
“What it means is that you are creating jobs invariably because those facilities that you build, you are not going to import anybody from somewhere to come work, they are Ghanaians and so the benefit comes in many ways. Apart from centralising, serving governance closer to the people and accelerating the rate of development. You are also making sure that you create employment and then you deepen the decision-making process by bringing on board all structures that were not part of it.”
