Bolgatanga, May 15, GNA - The Upper East Regional Minister Mr. Boniface Gambila has advised members of the National Association of Local Governance (NALAG) to use the regional NALAG conference as a forum to learn new things about governance and the challenges they expect to face.

It should also widen the scope of NALAG agenda and the proposals intended for Parliament to cover the problems that face the new districts, especially infrastructure. Mr. Gambila said this at a regional conference of NALAG held in Bolgatanga.

It was attended by all representatives of the eight municipal and district assemblies of the region with their MCES and DCES in attendance.

The Regional Minister said NALAG should be able to effect public service policies and procedures and process more openly financial management practices in line with auditing rules and regulations. Mr. Gambila also called for prudent public finance management procedures in the assemblies, adding that all assemblies should be involved in tree planting to change the environment to reduce hunger. Mr. Rockson Bukari, Regional representative of NALAG in a report said some of the strides made by the association to enhance the work of local authorities include the review of NALAG constitution, the registration of the association with the registrar general's office, and the building of a permanent office for the association in Tema. Mr. Bukari said NALAG will continue to employ its key areas and mode of operation to champion decentralization in the country. The conference addressed reports from each assembly on the strategies of maximizing revenue generation, health and sanitation management with regards to the polythene bags menace.

The conference proposed the re-introduction of paper bags, which could easily be burnt to replace polythene, which had caused a lot of environmental hazards in the communities.