The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) has endorsed the National Democratic Congress Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy policy proposal and described the policy as a medium to ensure efficient local government and development in the country.
In a statement released on Wednesday, November 22 2023, the Chamber for Local Governance explained that the 24 Hour Economy Policy proposed by Mr Mahama has the greatest potential to completely ‘revolutionize’ the country’s local governance system and give ‘true meaning’ to the concept of decentralization and citizens participation in the country.
“The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) has become aware of the 24-hour Economy Policy as announced by the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), HE John Dramani Mahama and has thoroughly analysed its potential impact on the revenue generation drive and the corresponding improvement in the public service delivery by most Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assemblies (MMDAs). ChaLoG wishes to endorse the 24-hour Economy Policy in its entirety as well as agree with the Trades Union Congress (TUC’s) description of the Policy as a GAME CHANGER”.
Th Chamber for Local Governance
According to the group, the 24-Hour Economy Policy if fully implemented would produce several benefits to the country, especially to local government administration in the country.
Among other things, the Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) argued that the 24 Hour Economy Policy would improve the local economies of major cities, towns and villages, thereby creating more income-generation activities for citizens.
Again, the statement indicated that the policy would also lead to the increment of total revenues collected by the central government which will ‘invariably’ lead to an ‘automatic increment’ in the 5% share of total revenues collected and deposited into the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for the various Metropolitans, Municipal and District Assemblies in the country to undertake more developmental projects.
24-Hour Economy And Local Economy
Furthermore, the Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) expressed its optimism that the 24 Hour Economy Policy proposed by the National Democratic Congress flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama would facilitate the increase of revenue generation for local authorities in the country.
According to the group, the collection of ‘night tolls’ by most local authorities for instance has become very difficult, if not ‘impossible’ to collect, because most ‘Assembly Task Forces’ do not work beyond 5 pm across the country.
The group thus emphasized that when Mr Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy Policy initiative is fully implemented the collection of ‘night tolls’ by the various assemblies in the country would extend beyond their usual closing hours to enable them to collect more tolls to increase their revenues.
Moreover, the Chamber for Local Governance recounted that the 24 Hour Economy Policy initiative by Mr Mahama when implemented would facilitate the easy collection of ‘property rate taxes as most Metropolitan and municipal Assemblies in the country struggle to efficiently collect the property rate taxes mainly because most assemblies do not work beyond 5 pm on weekdays and do not work on weekends as well.
According to the group, under the 24-hour economy, the various ‘revenue collectors’ of the local authorities in the country would get to meet most ‘ratepayers’ at home at all times as it would do away with the situation where ‘revenue collectors’ do not get to meet most ‘rates payers’ at home, as most of the ‘ratepayers’ are mostly at work when the ‘revenue collectors’ visit their homes.
“MMDAs will be able to exercise proper development control: many property owners who intend to build or persons bent on erecting illegal structures without obtaining permits have been operating mainly at night and on weekends when the MMDAs are not working. This Policy no doubt, will lead to an increment in the payment of permit fees to MMDAs, because they will now be in the position to stop illegal building or erection of unauthorized structures in the night just as they effectively do during their official working hours”.
Th Chamber for Local Governance
More so, the Chamber for Local Governance underscored the importance of the 24-Hour Economy Policy to sanitation and waste management by the various local authorities in the country.
According to the group, the 24-Hour Economy Policy when fully implemented would significantly improve the sanitation situation in most markets and public areas which are directly managed by the various Metropolitans, Municipals and Districts Assemblies in the country.
“This is because waste generated after 5 pm after they have closed for the day are left unattended overnight until the next day before they are cleared. The situation even becomes compounded if these wastes are generated after 5 pm on Friday and have to be left unattended to over the weekend until the next Monday before they are cleared. The Policy will undoubtedly nip this unsightly phenomenon in the bud”.
Th Chamber for Local Governance
In addition, the Chamber for Local Governance emphasized that the 24 Hour Economy Policy by the National Democratic Congress flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama would lead to the provision of better lightening of local communities leading to improvement in their security which would promote ‘new night’ commercial activities through the provision of street lights.
The group therefore called on all Ghanaians, to fully endorse and embrace the 24-hour Economy Policy by the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress to help expand the ‘frontiers’ of local governance and further deepen decentralization in the country.
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