The programme is a partnership with ActionAid, Sunyani West District Assembly and the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly and funded by the European Union (EU). The three-year programme is supported by the EU at a cost of 822,876 million Euros and has a co-financing component of 122,876 Euros by the three partners.

Mr Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, the Country Director of ActionAid Ghana, said the programme would collaborate with District Assemblies (DAs) to promote environmentally sustainable livelihoods and decent work for women groups and youth dependent on the informal economies as well as persons living with disabilities.

He said SLATLA would improve transparency, accountability and revenue mobilisation of  the District Assemblies.  He said, like most developing countries, Ghana faced three key problems in the informal sector of her economy, which were affecting the livelihoods of the vulnerable populations in the sector.

“These three issues are limited job opportunities and inadequate economic activities at the local level, unsustainable environmental practices that reduced economic productivity and low revenue mobilisation of local authorities due to a down-turn in the local economy and with the introduction of SLATLA these challenges would be halted,” he said.

He noted that SLATLA would strengthen skills, and capacity, increase coordination as well as strengthen technical capacity of beneficiaries in the informal sector. Mr Abdul-Rahman, therefore, called on stakeholders to analysise and access areas where they could support and complement each other to achieve developmental goals, especially in the informal sector which made up of 80 per cent of the country’s population.

Madam Maria Luisa Troncoso, the Head of Governance at the European Commission noted that the project which was in line with EUs policies in the country would empower 7,800 women and youth aged 18-40, through vocational training and job creation, expansion of local economic activities and promotion of decent work.

She said the project would improve transparency, accountability and revenue mobilisation of the Local Authorities (LA) and their role in supporting the informal sector. She noted that the project was being materialised as a result of ActionAid Ghana’s proposal in 2005 adding that “This was selected on merit based on of the laudable objectives of the project for the citizenry in the informal sector,” she said.

Madam Troncoso called for a collaboration between the two local authorities as that would help increase synergy and help mobilise citizens in the local level development process.  Alhaji Saouka Dramani, the Municipal Co-ordinating Director of the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly, said the project would reduce unemployment rate in the municipality and improve income that would enhance the capacity of the assembly.

Mr Douglas Annoful, the District Co-ordinating Director of the Sunyani West District Assembly, observed that the project which outlined the core of the assembly’s functions would improve the living standards of beneficiaries. “The time of implementation is very appropriate especially when unemployment is high in the country,” he said.

Mr Annoful called for committed efforts towards the effective realisation of the project.

Nii Maale DjahaI, the Chief of Teiman, said the initiative was welcome and it would conscientise as well broaden the vision of people in the informal sector especially women. He advised the beneficiaries to take the opportunity given them seriously by availing themselves to benefit from it. ActionAid is a global movement of people working together to further human rights for all to eliminate poverty.