Unavailability of data on NGO operations sad!

Unavailability of data on NGO operations sad!

Accra - November 05 at Mole Conference

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Julius Debrah, has described as sad, the lack of data on the operations of non-governmental organisations (NGOS) in Ghana. He has therefore urged NGOs operating in the country, to develop implementable strategies to address that gap.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, ACCRA

Mr Debrah’s observation was contained in the keynote address read on his behalf, at the start of a three day national conference on water, sanitation and hygiene dubbed Mole XXV Conference in Accra on Wednesday.

The Mole Conference series began at Mole in the Northern Region in 1989 and the 25th edition is being held in Accra on the theme “Mole Conference Series @ 25: Reflections to Define the Future”.

Delivering the address on the Minister’s behalf, the Chief Executive of the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA), Mr Seth Tawiah Badu, asked; “For instance, how much did each NGO raise and spend during last year?

“Where were these resources spent or where were the services provided or how much of the services raised reached the intended beneficiaries? Where can we locate reports on NGO activities? My understanding is that there is not much data available and this is sad.”

According to the Minister, the government was concerned about such information, because it was its duty to ensure some level of ‘sunshine’ in the operations of NGOs, and one way of doing that was to have access to NGO reports.

Mr Debrah’s keynote address also called on all metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to use their mandate as service providers and development authorities, to enter into partnerships with NGOs and CSOs in their areas of jurisdiction.

He also asked the MMDAs to provide the needed support to enable NGOs and CSOs serve the people.

He charged participants at the conference to define a kind of future that took into account Ghana’s medium to long term development agenda, and the new development paradigm – Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda.