The Regional Coordinating Council in pursuant to Regulation 17(3) of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Regulations, 2019, LI 2378, organized Regional Composite Budget Hearing for all Municipal/District Assemblies in the Upper East Region of Ghana from the 11^th of October to the 20^th of October, 2021. On Wednesday, 13^th of October, 2021, Bawku Municipal Assembly had its turn to present its 2022-2025 Composite Budget Hearing in the Municipal Assembly’s Conference hall. The Budget hearing received support from the National Technical working team who used the occasion to review the 2021 Budget performance and 2022-2025 budget targets in line with the 2022-2025 budget preparation guidelines and Government’s policy priorities and programs.

Various stakeholders that graced the program include the Bawku Traditional Council, the Presiding Member, Hon. Assembly Members, Heads of Departments of the office of the Assembly, the media, GPRTU, Bawku Literacy Society, AGIFFS, BEWDA, Market women associations, Guest house operators Association, Tailors and seamstresses association, cattle dealers association, building contractors association, Ghana Private Schools Operators Association etc.

 Mr. Eric Batuu Baseryi, on behalf of the Municipal Chief Executive, presented the 2022 Composite Budget of Bawku Municipal Assembly. He touched on the Municipal Profile and economy in terms of Commerce, Roads & transport, Manufacturing industry, Health, Education etc. He also touched on key issues and challenges, the financial performance for revenue and expenditure from 2019-2021. He also talked about key achievements, programs and projects. The outlook for 2022 was not left out as Mr. Eric Baseyi touched on the adopted policy objectives, policy outcome indicators and targets, expenditure, key performance information, Government flagship programs, revenue projections, expenditure projections, compensation of employees as well as 2022 projects and corresponding cost and justification.

Prior to the various presentations on the Composite Budget, the Hon. Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu in his opening remarks stated that Government was implementing various initiatives such as the Ghana CARES to deal with impact of fiscal impact of COVID-19 pandemic as seen in revenue shortfalls, increased expenditure, worsened fiscal balances and debt sustainability. He urged MMDAs to strategically allocate resources to critical programs and projects in the Medium Term Development plans. He also urged MMDAs to pursue revenue enhancement measures with a focus on deepening the digitization agenda on revenue collection systems to broaden the revenue base particularly property valuation and collection. He expressed as worrying the continual practice of implementing the approved budget without recourse to the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) urging MMDAs to use the GIFMIS in budget implementation.