$1m, 1 Constituency money ready for disbursement – Minister

The sector Minister Hawa Koomson, explained that 70 percent of the $1 million dollars for each constituency, will be spent on government’s priority projects such as the “One district-one factory, one village one dam, warehouses for planting for food and jobs among others.

The remaining 30 percent will be used for the priority constituency needs, which will be determined by a 10-member team approved by Cabinet. Mrs. Koomson said, “that is where we want the MPs, the MMDCEs and the stakeholders to come together and come out with a plan so that they can get a project for the needs of the constituency and then implement them.” The Minister was speaking at a Ministry of Special Development Initiatives programme to brief MMDCES on government’s priority areas on the Infrastructure Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP).

The Akufo-Addo administration had already indicated that, IPEP would cater for its $1 million per constituency promise. The project was also expected to have a direct link with government’s one district one factory project, which is estimated to cost GH¢456.3 million and create about 350,000 jobs. IPEP to work with development authorities Mrs. Koomson also noted that, IPEP will be working with the various development authorities, including the yet-t-be launched Northern Development Authority, Coastal Development Authority, and the Middle Belt Development Authority.

These three authorities are pending Parliamentary approval hence the need for the 10-member team to establish the priorities in the various constituencies, she explained. “The President has realized that if we want to wait on till the authorities are implemented before we can do these development initiatives, it will be very difficult for us; so he says we should put in place a provisional measure so we can do the implementation this year.

That is why we are coming out with the 10-member team.” Stressing the guidelines for utilization of the money, Mrs. Koomson noted that, constituencies were not to exceed the 1 percent annual allocation for training and capacity building. The money is not to be used for research activities, attending conferences and the payment of per diems, she said.