The government has been urged to boost the amount of mineral royalties allotted to the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) to at least 30% by several Chief Executives of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in mining zones.
They said that increasing the statutory money from the existing 20% to at least 30% will guarantee that local governments receive significant funding from the MDF to carry out important development initiatives for the benefit of the populace.
Elijah Adansi Bonah, Eric Kwaku Kusi, Michael Donkor, Faustina Amissah, and Elijah Adansi Bonah, all from the Obuasi Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region, were the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMCDEs) that made the call.
The remaining are Anthony Mensah in the Central and Ahafo areas, Upper Denkyira West, Richmond Kodua, and Asutifi North.
They noted in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic last week that while money from the MDF has greatly improved infrastructure in their communities, more needs to be done to raise people's quality of life.
examination trip
In order to learn how local management committees (LMCs) had used mineral royalties provided to them for development projects in their communities, the MMDCEs conducted a one-week tour of the four regions with representatives of the MDF Secretariat and Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL). During this time, they spoke with the Daily Graphic.
Asutifi North District in the Ahafo Region, Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District in the Western-North Region, Upper Denkyira West in the Central Region, and Obuasi Municipal, Obuasi East, Akrofuom, Adansi North, and Amansie Central in the Ashanti Region were all visited as part of the inspection tour.
It was noticed that the LMCs had carried out a variety of development initiatives targeted at raising the living conditions of the populace in all of the areas that were visited.
These initiatives span several industries, including rural electricity, water and sanitation, business development, and health care.
The MDF's revenues were used to build classroom buildings and teachers' houses, buy desks, and develop information and communication technology (ICT) facilities in the education sector.
In several of the districts, similar health-related projects, including hospitals, CHPS compounds, nurse's quarters, and medical equipment, were built or put in place.
For example, the assembly committed a portion of the MDF earnings to the construction of 226 boreholes and small water systems in the Asutifi North District, increasing water coverage from 41% in 2017 to 89% now.
The MMDAs had also built a number of markets to enhance the local economy, while others had increased the area served by power.
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