Cape Coast: The Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation has wrapped up its consultations at the sub-national level for the formulation of the National Decentralisation Policy and Strategy for 2025-2029. This initiative, which began on May 26, 2025, in Cape Coast, involved key stakeholders from various sectors across the nation.
According to Ghana News Agency, the consultations gathered Coordinating Directors, Metropolitan Municipal District Coordinating Directors, Budget Officers, Planning Officers, Agricultural Officers, Health Directors, Education Directors, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) from Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), along with Traditional Authorities. The Committee’s statement highlighted that the 16 regions were divided into four zones, with workshops held in Cape Coast, Ho, Tamale, and Kumasi to ensure inclusive participation and regional balance.
The final zonal event, which included stakeholders from the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western North Regions, was attended by key figures such as the Executive Secretary of the IMCC, Dr. Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, Lead Consultant Dr. Esther Ofei Aboagye, and a representative of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, Mrs. Beatrice Kwarteng Osei-Asare. Prominent traditional authorities from the Ashanti regional house of chiefs were also present.
Dr. Hoedoafia reiterated the Government’s dedication to revitalising Ghana’s decentralisation agenda and highlighted the aim of developing a robust decentralisation policy through evidence and stakeholder input. Mrs. Beatrice Kwarteng Osei-Asare, representing the Ashanti Regional Minister, praised the Committee’s participatory approach but acknowledged challenges such as capacity constraints, funding, and coordination issues within the MMDAs, urging participants to tackle these challenges pragmatically.
The consultations are part of a broader process that includes soliciting position papers on six thematic areas: Political Decentralisation, Fiscal Decentralisation, Decentralised Planning, Local Economic Development, Administrative Decentralisation, and Popular Participation and Accountability. These are also informed by cross-cutting issues like Climate Change, Gender and Social Inclusion, Technology, and Local Safety.
Plans are underway to hold a National Policy Dialogue on Decentralisation to further enrich Ghana’s Decentralisation journey and broaden perspectives.