The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Effutu, Rev. Atta Mensah, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Central Region to ensure that their 2027 budgets reflect the genuine needs and aspirations of citizens to promote inclusive and sustainable development.He said budgetary decisions must go beyond financial allocations to deliver tangible improvements in the lives of residents, particularly in sanitation, infrastructure, healthcare, education, flood control, youth employment and local economic empowerment.Rev. Mensah made the call in an address at the 2027 Regional Budget Hearing for Zone One, held at the Effutu Municipal Assembly (EMA) Conference Hall on Friday, October 16, 2026.The hearing, organized by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Central Regional Coordinating Council (CRCC), brought together stakeholders from four assemblies, namely the Effutu Municipal Assembly, Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly, Awutu Senya District Assembly and Gomoa East District Assembly.It formed part of the annual budget preparation process, which provides a platform for the assemblies to review their performance, assess their financial positions and deliberate on priority programmes and projects for the ensuing fiscal year.Rev. Mensah said the 2027 budget should be people-centred and aligned with the development priorities of the respective assemblies, while supporting the broader national transformation agenda under the “Reset Ghana” initiative.“The budget is not just a financial document; it is a social contract between the government and the people,” he said.He reaffirmed the Effutu Municipal Assembly’s commitment to prudent financial management, transparency and accountability, stressing that public resources must be managed efficiently to address pressing community needs.The MCE urged the four assemblies to embrace innovative approaches to accelerate development, improve service delivery and strengthen their institutional performance.He also advised them to adhere strictly to the guidelines for preparing their composite budgets and annual action plans to ensure that proposed interventions were realistic, properly prioritised and responsive to local development challenges.Rev. Mensah further encouraged the assemblies to learn from one another’s experiences during the presentations and discussions to promote collaboration and achieve a more comprehensive approach to development in the region.A statement from the Minister of Finance, delivered by Mr Victor Ennimful, Principal Budget Analyst, outlined key requirements for the preparation of the 2027 budgets.The statement urged all MMDAs to comply with the prescribed budget preparation guidelines and strengthen their Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to enhance revenue mobilisation and promote financial sustainability.It emphasised the need for assemblies to improve their capacity to generate local revenue, reduce overdependence on central government transfers and ensure that available resources were allocated efficiently to priority development interventions.The statement also stressed that all procurement activities must be processed in accordance with the applicable laws and procedures to promote transparency, accountability and value for money in public expenditure.Additionally, the assemblies were reminded of the requirement to allocate at least 20 per cent of their IGF to activities that engage citizens, in line with the applicable budget guidelines.The statement urged the assemblies to provide comprehensive information on ongoing, outstanding and uncompleted projects, as well as their achievements, operational challenges and revenue performance.It said proposed programmes and projects must demonstrate measurable benefits to citizens and address the specific development needs of communities within the respective jurisdictions.The Principal Budget Analyst encouraged the assemblies to use the hearing as an opportunity to exchange ideas, identify practical solutions to common challenges and strengthen coordination in the delivery of development projects.Presenting the Effutu Municipal Assembly’s draft 2027 budget, Mr Ebenezer Mensah, Municipal Budget Analyst, provided an overview of the municipality’s profile and performance across the various sectors of the local economy.He outlined the assembly’s financial performance, detailing revenue mobilisation and expenditure by the departments, while highlighting key achievements and planned interventions captured in the draft budget.The presentation also provided an opportunity for stakeholders to examine the assembly’s development priorities, assess progress made during the previous administrative and financial year, and consider areas requiring renewed attention in 2027.The hearing enabled the participating assemblies to showcase their achievements, discuss implementation challenges and outline proposed programmes and projects for the coming year.The annual regional budget hearing, instituted in 2011 as part of Ghana’s fiscal decentralisation reforms, provides a structured platform for MMDAs and relevant stakeholders to scrutinise budget proposals and ensure that local development priorities are incorporated into the national fiscal framework.The Zone One hearing was expected to strengthen accountability in local governance, promote peer learning among the participating assemblies and support the preparation of responsive, realistic and development-oriented composite budgets for 2027.
Story By: Charles Baah Aboagye & Blessing Gadeka -ISD
Last modified: October 21, 2026
