By Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin has urged development partners and other stakeholders to expand their cooperation and engagement on policy and governance beyond the executive arm of government for enhanced impact.
He made these remarks during a National Agricultural Policy Dialogue organized by Policy Link and Market Systems Resilience Activity, sponsored by USAID’s Feed the Future program, on Tuesday, April 16, at the Modern City in Tamale.
The dialogue centered on the theme: “Enhancing decentralization for efficient implementation and coordination of agricultural sector policies.”
Representing the Speaker of Parliament was Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, the Member of Parliament for Wa East constituency, who also serves as the Deputy Ranking Member on the Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament.
Dr. Jasaw highlighted that the structures and institutions of decentralized governance are well outlined in the 1992 constitution of Ghana, with supporting institutions and agencies established over the past three decades of Ghana’s commendable democratic journey.
He expressed his view that the challenge lies in ensuring effective lateral and vertical coordination among the arms, structures, and institutions, as well as consistency and coherence in policies.
Dr. Jasaw stressed the need for the nation to recognize this challenge and promptly take pragmatic actions to further decentralize the implementation of policies and programs, incorporating appropriate key performance indicators for effective monitoring.
The MP stated that it was paramount to extend the policy space to include the people’s representatives at every stage of activity implementation.
He further reiterated that Parliament wields the ‘Power of the Purse’ and it was easier to carry MPs along when they have sufficient information about a particular policy issue or/and its budget line.
Dr. Jasaw assured the attendees of Parliament’s commitment to supporting endeavors aimed at enhancing decentralization in the agricultural sector. He urged the District Assemblies to wholeheartedly adopt the integration of District Directorates of Agriculture, emphasizing its potential for improving the livelihoods of citizens.
The participants in this year’s National Agricultural Policy Dialogue comprised the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), members of parliamentary committees on Local Government and Rural Development, as well as Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs. Additionally, attendees included academics, representatives from the private sector, media professionals, development partners, and other stakeholders.
The dialogue focused on the essential requirements for sustained decentralized agricultural policy implementation. It underscored the importance of prompt and timely disbursement of resources for agricultural production activities, taking into account seasonal patterns.
Furthermore, participants advocated for the establishment of a dedicated fund similar to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Fund and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) to address food security issues in the country.
The participants called on parliament to review the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) allocation formula to include food security under the basic needs component of the formula.
Dr Jasaw, on behalf of the Speaker of Parliament, commended those organisers of the Dialogue for their civil societal role in promoting food security through agriculture production in Ghana.
