REGIONAL MINISTER LAUNCHES 2020-2025 COMPOSITE BUDGET

The Western Regional Minister, Dr. Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah who also doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Takoradi constituency has on Thursday, October 21, 2021, launched the Metropolitan Municipal and District Assembly’s Composite Budget hearing for 2020-2025 at Kwesimintsin in the Western Region.

 Delivering his speech, the Western Regional Minister, Dr. Okyere Darko Mensah emphasized that composite budget hearing is in line with the requirement of regulation 17(3) of the Public Finance Management (PMF) regulation 2019, LI 23/78 which place responsibility on Regional Coordinating Councils to organize budget hearing for all public entities including MMDAS.

 He further stated that budget hearing is an important aspect of public accountability which enhances public trust, education, and transparency, which are the bedrock of decentralization.

Dr. Okyere Darko Mensah commended the MMDAS for their great effort in achieving over 70% of their targeted internal generated revenue (IGF) despite how the COVID 19 pandemic has affected every phaseth of the economy. He applauded Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) for exceeding their target. He therefore encouraged the MMDAS to achieve 100% of their target in the next coming year since COVID 19 has subsided.

 He suggested that the MMDAS should find new ways to invest in the youth to create enabling environment for economic development. He added that, the MMDAS should not always invest in social amenities, mentioning latrines, but they should also invest in entrepreneurs in their locality.

 Dr. Okyere Darko Mensah concluded by urging the newly confirmed Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to stay focused and committed. He incited them to tackle issues relating to security, proper community mining, and how to generate more revenue. He charged them to be of good behavior at their various assemblies.

On his part, the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, in a speech read on his behalf by a rep from the Ministry of Finance, Madam Emma Anokye Ampretwum, expressed his gratitude to MMDAS for their continuous commitment over the years, and he believes in them to exhibit some level of cooperation throughout the budget development and implementation period.

 He stated that some measures and initiatives have been implemented by the Ministry of Finance, making reference to Ghana care and other initiatives, to deal with issues of the fiscal impact of the COVID19 pandemic which include, shortfalls in revenue and increased expenditure.

 He instigated the Metropolitan Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and Metropolitan Municipal and District Coordinating Directors (MMDCDs) to prioritize and commit financial and human resources to support finalization and approval of the plans for onwards submission to the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) for certification.

 He bemoaned the manner in which some MMDAS continue to condone the practice of implementing the approved budget without a recost to Ghana Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMS) and later realize these transactions on the system.

 In his welcome address, the Municipal Chief Executive for Effia Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) noted that the annual composite budget hearing gives all MMDAS the opportunity to reflect on their achievements, and examine challenges.

 He opined that the budget of MMDAS is an important policy document that serves as a medium for converting assemblys’ goals and values into plans geared towards development in the form of infrastructure growth, which in turn leads to the general improvement in the lives of the citizens.

He encouraged the MMDAS to collaborate and learn from each other, best practices for implementation of their various assemblies.

 He impelled the MMDAS to generate enough revenue for their activities to avoid over-dependence on the common fund, and also the stakeholders in the development, to participate and make a meaningful contribution towards the successful implementation of the budget.

In attendance at the launch was the Western Regional Coordinating Director, some MMDCEs MMDCDs, and Presiding Members and Chief in the Western Region.

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Western Regional Co-ordinating Council

Western Regional Co-ordinating Council

The Hon. Regional Minister is pro-business, believes in sustainable development and is a lead advocate for the oil and gas local content in the parliament of Ghana. He is an experienced politician and business development advocate.

The Hon. Regional Minister as a student of Mfantsipim School, he produced the first science magazine of the school in 1993.

He holds a BSc(Hons) Biochemistry degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology(Ghana) and a Master of Arts degree in Democracy,
Governance, Law and Development from the University of Cape Coast(Ghana). In
2014 he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree (DL Honoris Causa) by AIUCC,
Missouri USA.

Joining Parliament in 2009 till date he has served on many Parliamentary Committees and
delegations including Foreign Affairs, Roads and Transport, Education and Subsidiary
Legislation Committee that developed the current local content law, LI 2204. Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah became a member of the 2016 New Patriotic Party Manifesto Committee on Energy and a member of the 2017
Government Transition Team on Energy.

He founded the IT Company, e-Base Africa Ltd with his elder brother and became the Managing Director in 2001. His leadership introduced broadband internet in the Western Region and KNUST Kumasi.

For his commitment and pragmatic leadership ethics, he still serves on the Boards of
Raybow International Hotel, ORPED International, Western Regional Coastal
Foundation (an Oil & Gas not-for-profit), Citizen Advisory Council and Students in
Free Enterprise of Takoradi Technical University.

His vision is to make the Western Region a model one hinged on three main pillars of:
i. Entrepreneurial Governance System,
ii. Enterprising Western Region, and
iii. working to achieve the thematic areas of the Sustainable Development Goals mainstreaming and empowering the Youth
He recently received the award of the most outstanding business leader of the year – Public Sector at the prestigious Ghana Business Standard awards 2019 and the Pan African Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development Centre in partnership with Dynasty Group – Qatar presented by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister of the State of Qatar.

She was the Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency from 2001 to 2016 for 4 terms. Whilst in Parliament, she became a Parliamentary Leader for 12 years as a Deputy Chief Majority and Minority Whips.

On issues of women empowerment, Mrs. Gifty Kusi has had a lot of training and experiences. She was the Chairperson of the Women’s Caucus in the Parliament of Ghana and the Convener of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians for Africa and the Africa Representative to the international Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians to conferences.

As a member of the Gender and Children Committee, she became the Ranking Member for the committee from 2012 to 2016.

She also attended the West African workshop on Women in Politics in Sierra Leone organized by Gender and Youth Division, Commonwealth Secretariat in London

Her training also took her to the United Nations Sessions of the Committee for the Status on Women (CSW) on three occasions at the New York Headquarters in New York, USA. She also attended the Committee On Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Conference in Geneva UN Office to defend the status of Ghanaian women.

She attended the session to defend the Child Rights of the Ghanaian Children in Geneva with the Minister of Gender and Children on two occasions.

She attended a 3-Month Internship Programme, at the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights and African Women Leadership course in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 1999.

She served on the Committee on the Drafting of Affirmation Action Bill presently before Cabinet and also attended the session on African Commission On Human Rights and Peoples’ Rights held at the Gambia

She also attended a workshop to Review Laws on Female Genital Mutilation and to Advocate for Law Reform and on Early Childhood care and Development sponsored by Ghana Association of Women’s Welfare and the Ministry of Gender and Children all in Accra

She is a women activist who has presented papers at various conferences on energy, mining and women issues. She also served for 12 years on the Health Committee as a Vice Chairperson and as a member. She attended many conferences on health and the World Health Assembly by the WHO in 2014.

Mr. Ataogye is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Administrators and Management Consultants Ghana (2018); a Chartered Professional Administrator (ChPA) and a Chartered Management Consultant (CMC).

He was appointed into the Ghana Civil Service (and later the Local Government Service) in May 1990 and has been responsible for the management of the Assemblies’ and the RCC’s Human, Material and Financial Resources; superintending their operations/management, planning co-ordination, resource mobilization as well as service delivery and project implementation.

 

Mr. Ataogye has a: “let’s fix it” attitude – a true problem solver. He demonstrates strategic and transformational leadership. He is an experienced Administrator / Co-ordinating Director of high repute and is very affable with effective communication and negotiation skills.

 

Mr. Ataogye, as a student of Nandom Secondary School (1980-1982) and Notre Dame Seminary Secondary School, Navrongo (1975-1980) held the post of House Prefect in both schools.

 

He holds a BSc(Hons) Administration (Management) from the University of Ghana, Legon and a Master of Governance and Leadership (MGL) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). He also has to his credit, certificates from GIMPA for the Chief Executive Programme, Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration and Post Graduate Certificate in Public Administration.

 

National Service Assignment

Mr. Michael B. Ataogye fulfilled his National Service obligations at the Navrongo Secondary School (1983/84), where he taught French and Economics and later in 1989 at the Asutifi South District assembly, Kenyasi in the Brong Ahafo Region.

 

Awards

In 2005, he was awarded the Best Senior Staff for Good Human Relations, Staff Motivation and Initiative; and for Leadership provided for the Landscaping and Beautification of the Asante Akim South District Assembly Grounds at Juaso.

 

He was commended by the Head of Civil Service for Good 2004 Annual Administrative Performance and Reporting (Asante Akim South District Assembly, Juaso).

 

He was also commended by the Civil Service Council for Excellent Performance in the Execution of the 1999 Performance Agreement of District Co-ordinating Directors (Aowin Suaman District Assembly, Enchi).

 

Additional Assignment

Mr. Ataogye served as a member of the Management/ Governing Board of Kumasi Rattray Park (June 2015-December 2016) and a member of the Governing Board of Prempeh College, Kumasi (Feb 2015-Feb 2019).

 

For his commitment, innovative and pragmatic leadership as well as ethical conduct, he served on the Boards of the following institutions;

 

He was the Chairman for the Social Committee on the Resettlement of Atuabo Community near Tarkwa (1996-1997) and Chairman for Ejura-Sekyedumase Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (Jan,2009-Nov,2019).

 

Training/Career Development Courses and Seminars attended

Among the several training courses, seminars and workshops attended are the following:

 

Thesis and Dissertations presented

Mr. Michael B. Ataogye researched and worked on the following topics;