The government has finalised the new National Decentralisation Policy and Strategy (NDPS), a comprehensive roadmap designed to guide the country’s decentralisation reforms from 2026 to 2030.
The landmark policy, crafted by the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on decentralisation, aims to strengthen local governance, improve basic service delivery, and promote inclusive development nationwide.
Speaking at a high-level IMCC meeting in Accra, Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang underscored the need for ministries, departments, agencies, and the IMCC to take proactive steps to ensure the effective implementation of the reforms outlined in the NDPS.
“The NDPS provides a clear roadmap covering six main areas: political decentralisation, administrative decentralisation, decentralised planning, fiscal decentralisation, local economic development, and public participation and accountability,” she stated.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang raised concerns about the overly centralised nature of key sectors such as health, education, and roads, which she said continue to face fragmented authority structures, dual reporting lines, and weak accountability systems, issues that undermine efficiency and hamper service delivery.
She urged ministers and the IMCC to enhance coordination and prioritise decentralisation to address these long-standing challenges.
The Executive Secretary of the IMCC Secretariat, Dr. Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, noted that the meeting sought to provide policy direction on critical issues, including securing reliable domestic funding for the IMCC Secretariat and facilitating the rollout of the NDPS. A closed-door session followed to deliberate on implementation strategies and the specific institutional roles required for success.
The new policy replaces the previous decentralisation strategy, which ended in December 2024. It aligns with Articles 35(6d) and 240 of the 1992 Constitution and supports the government’s broader agenda to reset and strengthen governance at the local level, ultimately contributing to Ghana’s sustainable development.
Source: myxyzonline.com
