Apam (C/R), Sept. 13, GNA - Ms Sabine Drees, Secretary to Stadtetag Nordrhein Westfalen (STNRW) a German local government body has embarked on a familiarisation tour of Ghana.

As part of the visit, she has conferred with Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, President of National Association of Local Government Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) at Apam in the Central Region, who paid a visit to Germany, last year.

Mr Aidoo-Mensah noted that Ghana's democratic policy over the last 20 years had focussed on the promotion of decentralisation and local good governance.

He said some significant success had been chalked out over the period leading to the establishment of District Assemblies as non partisan local government bodies.

The NALAG President who is also the District Chief Executive for Gomoa West said the Assemblies which had been increased from 65 in 1988 to 170 in 2008 had been empowered as legislative, administrative and deliberative bodies, which take responsibilities for development planning, municipal and services budgeting, and rating in their jurisdiction.

Mr Aidoo-Mensah requested for exchange programmes in Local Government Administration and Management between NALAG and members of STNRW.

He also called for the establishment of Sister-City relationship between some districts and municipalities in Ghana and their counterparts in Germany.

He commended Danish International Development Agency and Kreditanstalt Fur Wiederaufbau, a German NGO for instituting the Functional organisational Assessment Tool, to assess the performance of the Assemblies for which District Development Fund is allotted to Districts which passed the assessment.

The NALAG President said District Development Fund had immensely helped a number of districts in their infrastructural development programmes.

Ms Drees expressed delight at the performance of NALAG to enhance democracy in Ghana and assured them of the support STNRW in achieving their desired goals.