IMCC Concludes Consultations on National Decentralisation Policy and Strategy

Accra: The Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation has concluded the National-Level Stakeholder Consultations on the formulation of the National Decentralisation Policy and Strategy (NDPS 2026-2030). These consultations gathered representatives from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), Regional Coordinating Councils (RCC), Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and the National House of Chiefs. The new NDPS aims to align with Articles 35(6d) and 240 of the 1992 Constitution and support the government's vision under the Reset Agenda.According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, the Executive Secretary of the IMCC Secretariat, noted that a comprehensive review of the previous decentralisation policy identified several gaps and weaknesses. As a result, a team of experts, led by Dr. Esther Ofei-Aboagye and overseen by Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi, was tasked with formulating a new policy. The NDPS 2026-2030 is designed to align with the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (MTNDPF) for 2026-2030, ensuring both policies can be evaluated together at the end of their respective periods.The upcoming NDPS will focus on six key thematic pillars: Political Decentralisation, Administrative Decentralisation and Decentralised Planning, Fiscal Decentralisation and local finance, Local Economic Development, and Popular Participation and Accountability. Dr. Hoedoafia highlighted that for the first time, these pillars would be influenced by six cross-cutting themes that respond to the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Ghana's evolving governance priorities. These themes include Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion, Technology and Innovation, Ethics, Values, and Change Management, the 24-Hour Economy, and Safety and Security.Stakeholder institutions were grouped into clusters based on thematic pillars to ensure meaningful and focused discussions. Dr. Hoedoafia also em phasized that decentralisation is about both transferring power to the local level and restructuring central-level institutions. The consultations aimed to reinforce that MDAs should focus on policy formulation, monitoring, and evaluation, while implementation should occur at the local level to enhance service delivery.The national consultations followed sub-national engagements held in May and June in Cape Coast, Ho, Tamale, and Kumasi. These zonal consultations targeted Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), Civil Society Organisations, Religious Leaders, and Traditional Authorities, allowing local governance actors to share their perspectives and experiences.Insights from both sub-national and national-level consultations will inform the drafting of an inclusive, evidence-based national decentralisation policy aligned with Ghana's evolving governance landscape and the Reset Agenda. The IMCC Secretariat plans to present the draft policy to the Technical Committee and the IMCC before i t proceeds to Cabinet for consideration and approval. The policy is expected to be finalised by August 2025.