CLGF, working with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development of Ghana, and supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (formerly DFID) and the European Union, organised a two-day workshop to validate the draft National LED Policy 2020. 

Taking place on 25 and 26 August in Koforidua, in Ghana’s Eastern Region, the workshop brought together diverse stakeholders of local government to critically examine the draft document; and to share their comments and input for revision, before it is presented to Cabinet for adoption. The stakeholders included Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Central Government, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), academia, research institutions and civil society organisations, with a total of around 70 participants. The workshop discussions were highly productive as participants actively engaged in the discussions and shared their opinions, based on their respective area of expertise. 

The 2020 policy is aimed at achieving eight objectives. These are:

1. Ensuring effective LED coordination at all levels
2. Strengthening capacity at MMDA level for effective LED Governance
3. Improving access to administrative and targeted fiscal incentives
4. Promoting the local area to attract businesses and investors, and to facilitate access to information
5. Improving access to economic infrastructure and support industrialisation
6. Facilitating access to productive assets such as land, water and natural resources 
7. Supporting access to finance for businesses, cooperatives and vulnerable groups
8. Supporting access to training and entrepreneurial skills development 

Sharing ideas

During the workshop’s closing session, CLGF’s West Africa Regional Programme Officer, Ms Joyce Ekuful, who represented CLGF at the workshop, on behalf of the Executive Secretary and the entire team, expressed the appreciation of CLGF to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for the collaboration. She said: “We should also like to thank participants for sharing their ideas on how the draft policy could be further improved, and we look forward to working in partnership with all stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the policy when adopted by cabinet."

Bottom-up approach

CLGF’s Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Lucy Slack expressed her pleasure and said: “This is an excellent example of local and central government working effectively together to produce guidance on the important issue of LED, with a strong bottom-up approach.”