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Ghana Regional and Local Government
Unavailable
Figure 13. Structure of Local Government, 1994
Source: Based on information from Ghana, Local Government
Information Digest, 4, No. 6, Accra, November-December 1991,
42.
Before the changes in regional and local administration under
the PNDC, Ghana had a highly centralized government structure in
which local people and communities were little involved in decision
making. Local government services were poor and depended largely on
funds and personnel provided by the national government in Accra.
Since the 31st December 1981 Revolution, however, local government
has increasingly benefited from the decentralization of government
ministries and from the establishment of district assemblies in
1989.
Ghana is divided into ten administrative regions, each headed
by a regional secretary. The ten regions and their regional
capitals are: Greater Accra Region (Accra), Eastern Region
(Koforidua), Central Region (Cape Coast), Western Region (SekondiTakoradi ), Volta Region (Ho), Ashanti Region (Kumasi), Brong-Ahafo
Region (Sunyani), Northern Region (Tamale), Upper East Region
(Bolgatanga), and Upper West Region (Wa)
(see
fig. 1). After taking
power, the PNDC launched a decentralization plan in December 1982
designed to restructure government machinery to promote democracy
and greater efficiency. The plan proposed a three-tier system of
local government to replace the four-tier system established in
1978.
This early decentralization plan, however, was not implemented.
Instead, interim management committees were organized to manage the
affairs of the district councils. PNDC district secretaries were
appointed chairmen of their respective district councils and were
responsible for day-to-day administration. Membership of the
interim management committees normally consisted of respected
citizens of the district, such as chiefs, headmasters, retired
administrators, and teachers. At the lowest levels, local
government remained in the hands of village, town, or area
development committees; PDCs; and chiefs and their traditional
councils, who still wielded considerable influence in most rural
areas.
On July 1, 1987, the PNDC launched a three-tier system of local
government. The principal innovations of the new system included
creating 110 administrative districts to replace the sixty-five
districts that had existed before and changing the name District
Council to District Assembly. The District Assembly was to be the
highest political and administrative authority in each district,
with deliberative, executive, and legislative powers; it was
responsible for creation of the two lower-level tiers, town or area
councils and unit committees, within its jurisdiction
(see
fig. 13).
The membership of the District Assembly included a district
secretary appointed by the PNDC. Two-thirds of the members were
directly elected by universal adult suffrage on a non-partisan
basis; the other third were appointed by the PNDC from the district
in consultation with traditional authorities and various
associations. Appointed members held office for a maximum of two
consecutive terms, that is six years. Elections to the District
Assembly were to be held every three years (the 1992 constitution
provided for a four-year term and reduced the number of appointed
members from one-third to no more than thirty percent of the total
membership). The District Assembly was made responsible for the
overall development of the district.
A 1990 law ensured that people at the grass-roots level had the
opportunity to help make decisions that affected them regardless of
their education or socio-economic backgrounds, so long as they were
eighteen years or older and were customarily residents of the
district. Finally, in each of the ten regions, a Regional
Coordinating Council was established consisting of the regional
secretary, the deputies of the regional secretaries acting as exofficio members, all district secretaries in the region, and all
presiding members of the district assemblies in the region. The
1992 constitution added at least two chiefs to the membership of
each council. The functions of the council included the formulation
and the coordination of programs through consultation with district
assemblies in the region. The council was responsible for
harmonizing these programs with national development policies and
priorities, and for monitoring, implementing, and evaluating
programs and projects within the region.
A local government law passed in 1991 created thirteen submetropolitan district councils and fifty-eight town or area
councils under three metropolitan assemblies; 108 zonal councils
under four municipal assemblies; and thirty-four urban, 250 town,
and 626 area councils under 103 district assemblies. In addition,
16,000 unit committees were established under metropolitan,
municipal, and district assemblies throughout the country.
(District assemblies, of which there are 110, are designated
metropolitan and municipal assemblies in metropolitan centers and
major cities.) No Urban Council, Zonal Council, or Town Council or
Unit Committee has the power to levy any taxes without the approval
of the relevant assembly.
The functions of urban, zonal, and town councils include
assuming the functions of the former town and village development
committees and assisting any person authorized by the assembly to
collect revenues due the assembly. In addition, the councils
organize annual congresses of the people within their respective
jurisdictions to discuss economic development and to raise
contributions to fund such development. Membership in urban, zonal,
or town councils and in unit committees consists of both elected
and appointed people from within the respective jurisdiction.
Each of the ten regions is administered from the regional
headquarters or capital by a regional secretary, who is the
regional political and administrative head. The regional secretary
is supported by metropolitan and municipal secretaries and their
metropolitan and municipal assemblies as well as by district
secretaries and the district assemblies they head. At the regional
headquarters, the regional secretary is assisted by a Regional
Consultative Council and a Regional Coordinating Council, both
chaired by the regional secretary. The number of administrative
districts within regions varies, the Ashanti Region having the
most--eighteen, and the Greater Accra Region and the Upper West
Region having the fewest--five. The establishment of a district
assembly in each region ensured that, with the local people in
control of their own affairs, no part of the country would be
neglected.
Data as of November 1994
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