In a continued  bid to drive, promote fiscal discipline and evidence-based reporting, the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) on Thursday, 6th November 2025, convened a Budget Committee Meeting to validate the Ministry’s third quarter performance report ahead of its submission to the Ministry of Finance.

The session brought together representatives from the Ministry’s departments, allied institutions, and project coordinating units to rigorously review sector performance for July, August, and September 2025, ensuring that every detail reflected the Ministry’s true operational and financial progress.

Addressing participants, the Director in Charge of Budget at the Ministry, Mrs. Freda Faah, underscored the importance of accuracy and collaboration in public financial reporting. She noted that the Ministry collated inputs from key institutions such as the Department of Community Development, Institute of Local Government Studies, Department of Parks and Gardens, Births and Deaths Registry, Social Investment Fund, Office of the Local Government Service, Ghana Productive Safety Net Project II, and the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, among others.

Mrs. Faah commended the various teams for their dedication and timely submission of data, which facilitated the efficient completion of the report. She urged all stakeholders to sustain this momentum as preparations begin for the fourth quarter reporting cycle.

The validation exercise reaffirms the Ministry’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and performance-driven governance, ensuring that the Local Government sector remains well-positioned to deliver on its mandate.

Source: Chantal Aidoo

Public Relations Unit, MLGCRA

The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) has launched the revised Manual for the Preparation of Spatial Plans, and Zoning Guidelines and Planning Standards, reaffirming government’s commitment to promoting orderly, inclusive, and sustainable spatial development across the country.

In a keynote address by the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (MP), at the launch in Accra on Monday, 3^rd November 2025, she indicated that the revised documents are a practical tool for empowerment aimed at equipping the assemblies with the guidance needed for smarter and more coordinated spatial planning.

She was of the view that an effective spatial planning is fundamental to Ghana’s sustainable development agenda and the advancement of government’s flagship programmes such as the Big Push Initiative, the Ghana Infrastructure Plan, and the 24-Hour Economy Programme.

Hon. Sowah underscored that the launch of the revised documents comes at a crucial time when Ghana is deepening decentralization and enhancing the capacity of Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to deliver on their mandates. She added that as urbanization accelerates, it is imperative to guide the growth and redevelopment of settlements through evidence-based and harmonized spatial planning standards.

Reflecting on the evolution of Ghana’s spatial planning framework, the Deputy Minister noted that the original manuals were developed in 2011 under the then Town and Country Planning Department. However, the passage of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), with the subsidiary Legislative Instrument 2384, and the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) has necessitated the comprehensive review and alignment of the documents with the current legal, policy, and development context.

Hon. Sowah commended the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) for its visionary leadership and coordination throughout the revision process, while expressing appreciation to all collaborating institutions  including the  RCCs, MMDAs, Civil Society Organisation, traditional authorities, and development partners for their invaluable contributions as well as  the German Corporation (GIZ) for its technical support in the review and update of the manuals.

The revised manuals provide a consistent and collaborative framework to guide land use, manage human settlements and promote safe, inclusive and resilient communities.

She urged the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives present at the launch to commit to implementing these guidelines with diligence and innovation, stressing that their collective efforts will ensure Ghana’s human settlements are not only well-planned and functional, but just, equitable, and sustainable.

Source: Chantal Aidoo

Public Relations Unit, MLGCRA

The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, has announced that the newly introduced 24-Hour Model Market Initiative will play a pivotal role in reducing congestion in Ghana’s major markets while enhancing productivity and local economic growth.

Speaking at an orientation session for Regional Ministers and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) held on Tuesday, 4^th November 2025 in Accra, Hon. Ibrahim described the initiative as a bold and transformative step towards re-engineering Ghana’s market infrastructure and improving livelihoods under government’s flagship programme, the  24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, championed by President John Dramani Mahama.

According to him, the 24-hour market model is designed to ease overcrowding and trading pressure during daytime hours by extending operations into the night, adding that the model markets will not only serve as trading spaces but also as vibrant economic hubs that operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week. This he noted will allow traders to expand operations, access new customer segments, and improve their incomes.

Hon. Ibrahim explained that the markets would be equipped with modern facilities including cold storage units, sanitation systems, digital payment infrastructure, childcare centers, police and fire posts, with proper lightening system to always ensure safety and convenience for both traders and customers.

The Minister emphasized that the initiative aligns with the Local Economic Development (LED) Policy (2024–2029), which emphasizes the need for modern economic infrastructure to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMEs). He noted that over 85% of Ghana’s businesses fall within the SMEs          category, underscoring the government’s commitment to inclusive economic growth.

He added that the markets would contribute to job creation, especially for women and youth, and help improve local government revenue generation through enhanced trading activities.

He noted that due to the standard  design that will be replicated in all regions, the Ministry organized the orientation session to enable them meet the architects to explain the designs to them and also enable them understand the specification and charged the Regional Ministers and the MMDCEs to work keenly on the procurement process and ensure the project comes to fruition to serve its intended purpose, as this is one of the President’s deliverables which will also create revenue for the MMDCEs and create meaningful jobs and improve living conditions of the assemblies.

Hon. Ibrahim further called on the Regional Ministers and MMDCEs to take leadership in identifying and designating local economic zones suitable for 24-hour operations, ensuring security, sanitation, and efficient lighting systems to support the markets’ continuous operation. He urged them to align their Medium-Term Development Plans with the national 24-Hour Economy agenda to attract both public and private investment.

The 24-Hour Model Market Initiative, he noted, forms part of a broader ecosystem under the Build24, Fund24, and Connect24 components of the 24-Hour Economy Programme, designed to ensure sustainable infrastructure, financing access, and integration into national logistics systems.

Hon. Ibrahim stressed that the initiative is not a pilot but a national rollout, symbolizing government’s unwavering commitment to inclusive growth and economic transformation.

Source: Chantal Aidoo

Public Relations Unit, MLGCRA