Aa part of efforts to strengthen the operations of the Zonal Councils, The Management of Ketu North Municipal Assembly held a (2) two-day training workshop for staff to equip them on the operations and functions of Zonal Councils. The training workshop took place on Wednesday 19th July, 2023, at the Municipal Assembly Hall.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr. Jasper Adenyo expressed his happiness that the workshop would not have come at a better time than now since it was going to effectively equip staff with the necessary knowledge and competencies to enable them perform their tasks.
Mr Jasper Adenyo, who also doubles as the lead facilitator provided valuable insights on the concept of Zonal Councils and the critical role Zonal Councils play in the decentralisation agenda of the nation. He also took staff through preparation of Quarterly Reports, Minutes and some standing orders and urged staff to consciously apply the knowledge acquired in the day-to-day administration of the Zonal Councils.
The Municipal Finance Officer, Mr. Edem Leketty, who took the staff through revenue mobilization and account procedures at the Zonal Councils, stressed the pivotal role revenue plays in the running of the Zonal Councils and urged officers posted to the Zonal Councils to aggressively put some revenue measures in place to improve the revenue base of the Zonal Councils. He also took officers through the Local Governance Act, Public Financial Management Act and other statutory regulations governing the operations of the zonal councils. Other areas of presentation focused on revenue mobilization strategies, Forms of taxes, Revenue collection procedures and preparation of payment vouchers at the Zonal Councils level.
In his presentation, the Municipal Planning Officer, Mr. John Ntibrey, indicated the importance of planning as a major management strategy at the Zonal Councils level. According to him, the planning activities at the zonal councils ultimately feeds into the National Development Plan. He indicated that resources for development have become very scarce, hence the need for officers at the Zonal Councils level to properly undertake needs assessment and prioritize them for subsequent implementation. This, he stated would help the Zonal Councils to ensure that projects and programmes are effectively and efficiently implemented for the benefit of the communities they served.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Mr. Wisdom Adanuty, expressed his gratitude to staff for attending the training workshop and thanked the facilitators for their excellent presentations and delivery. He was hopeful that staff have been well equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them function at the Zonal Councils level.
Participants at the training workshop were Assistant Director IIBs, Assistant Planning Officers, Assistant Budget Officer, Assistant Internal Auditors among other analogues grades.