Tamale, Aug 19, – Mr Gilbert Seidu Iddi, Northern Regional Minister, has directed that embargo be placed on development projects which are not included in the annual budgets of the decentralised departments or district assemblies. In addition, no state subvented organisation or district assembly in the region should invest public funds in treasury bills, explaining that the practice fuels inflation since interests has to be paid by government. Mr Iddi was addressing a meeting of the regional coordinating council in Tamale today at a one-day meeting to discuss revenue mobilisation, financial irregularities, contract management, food security, establishment of democratic structures below the district assemblies and misuse of official vehicles, among others. The Regional Minister called for an end to the practice whereby public officers rush to make bulk purchases in the last quarter of the financial year, or make forward commitments against the following year. “Consequently all departments who intend making any purchases above five million cedis must seek prior approval from the regional minister or his deputy”, he said.
