The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Local Government and Rural Developments have organised a Social Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (SPEFA) forum for the staff of the Birim Central Municipal Assembly and the public.

They were taken through topics such as: “The role of citizens in participatory budgeting and development planning stages.”

It was financed with a grant from the World Bank and supervised by the SNV Netherlands, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

Mr Kofi Adjei –Amparbeng, the Programmes Director of ‘4H Ghana’, an NGO and also a facilitator of SPEFA who took the participants through the topics said citizens participation in such exercises bring about transparency of the Assembly’s operations.

It is also to erase doubts in the minds of the people on how funds were used and prevent mistrust while bridging the gap between the Assembly and the public.

Mr Frank Odei Anim, also a facilitator of SPEFA advised the public to mobilise themselves and build sustainable coalitions to demand for accountability and to collate information from credible sources.

Mr Kwabena Nkansah Asare, the Municipal Chief Executive told the people that Clients Service Unit has been created at the Assembly for easy accessibility of credible information by the people on operations.

He said: “This is very important for positive planning and interventions since that will help the people to contribute their quota in the smooth running of the Assembly in the execution of duties by members.”