The Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) has held a citizens’ budget sensitization forum to educate Ashaiman residents on the 2017 national budget and related development issues.

The forum, which was attended by representatives of various trades, vocations and civil society groups, was organized by the Rural-Urban Women and Children Development Agency in partnership with Send-Ghana through the Ashaiman District Citizen Monitoring Committee (DCMC).

According to Mr Brimah Abdulai, Presiding Member, ASHMA, such fora, organized quarterly, provided the platform for the Assembly, development partners and the citizens to share ideas on their privileges and duties in the national development.

He said DCMC monitors government’s pro-poor policies and projects and presents findings and recommendations to the Assembly and stakeholders.

“We have monitored the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), Small Holder Agricultural policy among others and discovered some lapses. We have presented findings and recommendations and have had commitments made by the Assembly. We followed up on those commitments and they were fulfilled,” he said.

Addressing the participants, Mr Abdul Wajah Brimah, Budget Analyst, ASHMA, said government was embarking on various projects and policies including boreholes, free antenatal/postnatal healthcare, free immunization and improved NHIS, nationwide.

According to him, apart from the national projects which would be benefited by residents of Ashaiman, the Assembly through with its internally generated funds, the District Assembly Common fund and other fund sources, had built a health centre, street lights, schools, drains among others.

He appealed to residents to exercise patience as every community in the Municipality would have its fair share of development.

During questions and answers session, most participants raised the issue of poor sanitation and unhygienic practices such open defecation and littering.

They suggested that severe punishment should be meted out to offenders to deter others.