Amasaman (G/A), Feb. 11, GNA - The introduction of the District Assembly Concepts has led to accelerated development, a three-day workshop on the impact and assessment of 15 years of the Concept in the Ga District, began on Wednesday at Amasaman said.

Speaking on the lessons learnt and the way forward, at the workshop, Mr Samuel Attoh, Ga District Chief Executive, traced the history of the decentralization process and said it was in no doubt a potential strategy for rapid development, which enabled leaders to integrate areas that were isolated in development programmes.

He said since 2001, development in the District had accelerated with greater pace in terms of infrastructure development.

The workshop being organized by the Ga District Civic Union (GDCU) with the support of the Government Accountability Improvement Trust (GAIT) programme, would examine the role of civic society, chiefs and religious bodies in the implementation of the Concept.

Mr Attoh specifically mentioned electricity extensions, construction of markets centres, KVIP latrines, boreholes, feeder roads and the provision of school blocks as some of the physical achievements the District could boast of under the Concept.

On revenue, he said, the District managed to rise from as low as three billion cedis in 2002 to 10 billion cedis in 2003, the highest so far attained for revenue generated internally in the District. "Thus the Ga District Assembly is now able to carry to their communities the conviction that development of their areas depends largely on themselves. This makes it possible for the ordinary people to be part of the decision-making process".

Nii Tettey Okpe II, Chairman of the GCDU, said for the decentralization policy to work effectively, the district assemblies must give opportunity to groups in different sections of the country to participate more directly in decision-making in their respective districts.

He said greater proportion of the society did not know that development was a shared responsibility and that everyone should be a participant in decision- making.