Accra, Sept. 14, GNA 96 Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, a Former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, on Thursday described the ruling New Patriotic Party's (NPP) promise of electing District Chief Executives as a mirage.

'In opposition the NPP made capital of the issue to elect DCEs but once in government the President and the Party machinery have noticed that electing the DCEs would be politically suicidal and a threat to national security,' he said.

Mr Ahwoi was speaking at a day's technical workshop on the history of decentralisation in Ghana organised by Public Agenda, a bi-weekly newspaper of the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC).

He explained the operational and political ineptness of electing DCEs, as the Government would have to depend on elected DCEs who may not share the ruling party's political ideology.

'In a democratically developing country like Ghana, it would be very difficult for the Government to work with DCEs from opposition parties especially in propagating its economic and political agenda in the districts,' he said.

Mr Ahwoi, a leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), noted that within the districts, the Chief Executive chaired the District Security Coordinating Council (DISEC), which managed all security operations within the district including that of the President.

'Imagine an Opposition DCE managing the security of the President's tour of the district, or propagating ruling party's political agenda. Practically this is unattainable.'

The Former Minister also noted that the operations of certain provisions with the Internal Agency Auditing Act; Public Procurement Act and other anti-corruption laws were a set back for the development of decentralisation.

Mr Vitus Azeem, ISODEC Budget Advocacy Officer, challenged the Government to make do with its promise of increasing the District Assembly's Common Funds (DACF) allocation from the current 5.0 per cent to 7.5 per cent of tax revenue.

He suggested the release of a minimum of 50 per cent of the previous year's common funds allocation to the districts in the new fiscal year to address the problem of delays in disbursement and to enable the assemblies to function.

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning could also release an advance every quarter based on the previous year's allocation, pending approval by Parliament.

Mr Azeem urged the Government to plug loopholes in the use of resources of Municipal, Metropolitans and District Assemblies and also to improve upon the management of the funds and other resources.

He appealed to the assemblies to reduce their dependence on the Common Funds as its major source of funding for its development rather 93you should increase the internally generated funds through the exploration of new forms of taxes and levies as well as improving on the monitoring and supervision of revenue collectors=94.

Mr Azeem called for the education of assembly members on the roles and responsibilities for the disbursement and utilization of the DACF.

They should be provided with adequate information on the Fund and other resources on a regular basis on issues

pertaining to it. Ordinary community members should be made to

understand how the Fund operated. Mr Amos Safo, Managing Editor of Public Agenda, said it

was necessary to change the face of journalism in the country

from one concentrating on events to a pace setter especially

focusing on national development and social issues. The workshop was attended by journalists, social analysts,

politicians, assembly members and a cross-section of the

public.