Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah has vowed not to allow Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region to misuse state funds.

According to him, he would make sure that Internally Generated Funds (IGFs) at the various assemblies are not spent recklessly.

He stated that his tenure as the regional minister would see to it that the public purse is protected to ensure rapid national growth.

“I will not allow IGFs to be used anyhow under my watch,” Mr Osei Mensah, who has been in office for only one-week, stated.

He made this vow when the Ghana Mission Director of the USAID, Andy Karas, paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Kumasi.

The minister said he is determined to make sure that state institutions operate freely without any unseen hand controlling them.

He was of the view that the country’s developmental agenda would materialize when state institutions are allowed to work devoid of unnecessary political controls.

Mr. Andy Karas said his outfit is ready to partner the minister to build the capacity of the people in the region thereby making them economically independent.

He said he was on a four-day working tour of the region, noting that partnering the minister to boost cocoa production in the region is key to him.

The USAID injects huge funds into areas such as agriculture, economy, education and governance.

Most of the projects which are geared towards improving the livelihoods of the people, are in the Ashanti and the Northern Regions.