The Local Government Service has organized a series of two-day workshop on Programme Based Budgeting (PBB) for District Assemblies outside the scope of the Local Government Capacity Support Project (LGCSP). Training beneficiaries included Heads of the Internal Audit Unit, Agriculture and Social Welfare and Community Development Departments. Participants were taken through the concept, principles and format of the PBB, a new reform aimed at improving budget management. It was introduced in 2012 to among other things improve service delivery, respond to the challenges associated with Activity Based Budgeting and introduce performance management in the budget system. The training programme was facilitated by officers from the Budget Unit of the Ministry of Finance.
Participants were taken through the concepts of PBB and how the approach can be effectively used to finalise the 2017 budget estimate of the various MMDAs. They were also introduced to the use of the Upgraded Activate and highlights of the Budget System (Hyperion). The Upgraded Activate is designed to facilitate preparation of MMDAs budget in line with the new Budgeting requirement. It runs on the current Chart of Accounts of the GIFMIS to ensure transparency and accountability in service delivery and reporting.
The first round of training took place concurrently at three venues namely, Ejisu for MMDAs in the Eastern Region, Tamale for MMDAs in the Northern and Upper East Regions and Ho for MMDAs in the Greater Accra and Volta Regions on the 23rd and 24th of January, 2017. The second in the series of training was on the 26th and 27th January, 2017 at Techiman for MMDAs in the Brong Ahafo and Upper West Regions, Ejisu for MMDAs in the Ashanti Region and Elmina for MMDAs in the Central and Western Regions.