The Deputy Director of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Mr. Jonathan Azasoo, is calling for a monthly salary structure for assembly members within the local governance setting.

It is a known fact that assembly members (assemblymen &women) do not receive monthly salaries, but only allowances during assembly meetings. They are also offered motorbikes as a means of transportation to enable them do their work for the community in which they serve.

However, Mr. Jonathan Azasoo is pressing for an improved welfare package for assemblymen and women who serve as development agents by rendering an unflinching social service for their respective electoral areas.

Mr. Azasoo made the appeal in an interview with Today newspaper on the sidelines of a roundtable discussion on ‘Strengthening The Sub-District Structures In A Reformed Local governance System In Ghana’ organised by the Institute For Democratic Governance.

According to him, strengthening sub-district structures such as Urban/Town/Zonal Councils and the Unit Committees would enhance the performance of the various MMDAs at the community level, which would further deepen Ghana’s democratic governance.

He said currently the non-functioning of the sub-district structures, especially the Unit Committees, was hampering the socio-economic development of the country.

The purpose for the roundtable was to examine the role and performance of the sub-district structures from 1993 to date and how they can be made functional and effective in a reformed decentralised local government system.