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RCCs, MMDAs undergo financial management training on SOCO project


  27 Mai      55        Economy (14984),

   

Tamale, May 27, GNA – Selected staff of Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have had a training on financial management to build their capacities for the smooth implementation of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion Project (SOCO).

The training provided guidelines on how project funds should be used appropriately during project implementation as well as highlighted areas such as disbursement and funds flow, accounting and record keeping, documentation and reporting, internal controls, and audit, among others.

Participants were drawn from Northern and Oti RCCs and their respective MMDAs.

Mr Dan Botwe, Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, speaking during the three-day training, which ended in Tamale on Saturday, urged participants to pay particular attention to the guidelines for the use of project funds as well as the reporting requirements to avoid queries and audit infractions during the implementation process.

The SOCO project is a US$ 450 million multi-country project to be implemented in Benin, Cote D’ Ivoire, Togo, and Ghana with support from the World Bank.

The Government of Ghana’s allocation is a total of US$ 150 million credit facility (Loan).

The project aims at providing support to the northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea countries that are hardest hit by fragilities due to food insecurity and climate change, conflict, and violence.

It also seeks to improve regional collaboration as well as the socio-economic and climate resilience of border communities in the target northern regions of the Gulf of Guinea countries exposed to conflict and climate risk.

Mr Botwe reminded the participants that “Having come this far, it is important to keep in mind that this project requires an appreciation and active engagement of all stakeholders.”

He said, “The project is expected to create jobs, improve access to basic social and economic services, promote local economic development, gender equality, and improve environmental management and most importantly promote social cohesion to deal with the spill-over from the Sahel region.”

He expressed the hope that the delivery of the project would lead to an increase in productivity and job creation, improved access to basic services and economic opportunities, climate resilience and improved cross-border trade, and information sharing within the Gulf of Guinea Region.

Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister gave further details of the project and said, “The project is expected to finance investment in sub-project types like feeder roads, small earth dams, boreholes, and social infrastructure such as markets, schools with complement of furniture, CHPS Compounds and pharmacies, which impact directly on improving the lives of our people.”

Alhaji Saibu added that “Other investment areas are in ICT centres and recreational facilities such as astro turfs and parks, information centres, which are particularly targeted at the restive and vulnerable youth in these districts, who are prime target of extremist ideas across the borders.”

He said, “all of these indicate that this project is a major game changer and therefore, its success cannot be bargained or compromised in anyway” warning, “Therefore, the RCC will not hesitate to crack the whip to keep everyone focused on the achievement of the project development objectives.”

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