Ejura(ASH), Aug. 15, – Mr. Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Ashanti Regional Minister has called on District Assemblies to ensure a high level of transparency in the award of contracts by adopting an open competitive tendering procedure. He noted that the selective and negotiated tendering system used by some of the assemblies was a potential source of abuse. Mr. Agyekum was addressing the second ordinary meeting of the Ejura- Sekyedumasi District Assembly as part of a two-day official visit to the area. The Regional Minister who inspected a number of projects being financed through the district’s share of the Common Fund and European Union projects was critical of the wide variation in the costing of the assembly’s projects .
Mr. Agyekum asked the assembly to ensure a more effective monitoring of the projects to prevent lapses pointing out that he would not compromise on corrupt and inefficient practices. He announced that the assembly would receive, under the fourth Micro Projects programme, an amount of 359.5 million cedis to finance 14 projects in education, health, water and sanitation this year. The Regional Minister spoke about the serious environmental degradation and deforestation of the area and advised the assembly to take firm measures to deal with activities of charcoal burners and promote reforestation. Mr. Peter Boakye- Ansah, Member of Parliament for the area advised the assembly members to endeavour to deepen their understanding of the Value Added Tax (VAT) system. He observed that the assembly members could educate the people particularly those in their communities when they themselves clearly understood that system of taxation.
