She announced to the house that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development intended to strengthen the birth and death registry to help in the country’s development process.

She said the government was putting in place right modalities to help in the election of the MMDCE for the various Assemblies.Mr Emmanuel Kpodo, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho Central in his contribution to the statement supported the budgetary estimates for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for the year 2017.

He however called on the ministry and others to streamline their roles in the implementation of the government policies to avoid duplication of functions. Mr Kennedy Nyarko Osei, MP for Akim Swedru called for dedicated and reliable funds for the ministry to run its activities.

He said the current situation where the ministry had to rely on donor funding for most of its activities was not sustainable. He therefore called on government to diversify the source of funding to the Ministry to enable them carryout their activities without any hindrance. Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, MP for Wa West in his contribution called on the management of the Bus Rapid Transport System to enhance the advertisement of their operations to the public and to increase their patronage.

He urged government to increase the allocation of resources to the District Development Fund (DDF) which he said was critical to the development of the various Assemblies. He said the DDF unlike the District Assembly Common Fund was based on the performance of a particula assemblies.

Mr Yieleh Chireh also called on the various MMDCE to come out with innovative ways of raising internally generated funds. He urged the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development to also bring the new legislation for the election of the MMDCE to Parliament for amendment.

Sarah Adwoa Sarfo, Deputy Majority Leader in her contribution assured the house that the concerns raised by the minority had been noted by the sector minister and would be worked on. She also stated that the registration of births and deaths as a measure of knowing the population of Ghana was fundamental to the development of the country and therefore urged the house to approve the budget estimates for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to enable them implement their policies and programmes for the year 2017.

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader on his part threatened that minority side would  file a suit at the Supreme Court to challenge the decision of the government to cap the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF)

He also reminded Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development that the election of the MMDCEs would require constitutional amendment and that she would have to bring the new legislation for modification to the house.