The 76th Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC) has strongly recommended the election of Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) along partisan political lines.

The participants called for supporting the election of MMDCES and including political parties and independent candidates in local government.

The election of MMDCES is one of the 15-point recommendations issued at the end of the three-day session held at the University of Ghana, Legon.

“It would be beneficial for the government to consider constitutional amendments that allow for the election of political parties and independent candidates in local government, given the challenges of the past 32 years.

“This would promote a multi-party democracy, enhance district development, and encourage broader citizen participation.” Dr. Simon-Peter Kafui Aheto, Director, 76th Annual New Year School & Conference, stated.

Apart from strengthening grassroots democracy, the Conference called for women empowerment at the local level and the enforcement of spatial planning laws by MMDAs to ensure that “development projects comply with land use and building standards.”

Topics discussed at the 76th ANYSC included: “harnessing technology to empower the future generation, protecting the natural and built environment, leveraging financial technologies for prosperity.

Others were: “promoting peacebuilding and democratic governance, exploring partnerships and facilitating cross-border trade through digital commerce.”

The ANYSC Communiqué further called for the decentralisation of regulatory bodies such as the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), adding that “trade standards should be included in educational curricula to enhance regional competitiveness.”

It also urged telecommunication service providers to train farmers and sellers on digital commerce platforms to enable them “promote Ghanaian brands globally.”

On digital technologies, the Conference proposed that customers of financial technology services should “receive clear information about withdrawal limits and the steps to increase them” to enable them to manage their accounts effectively.

To increase transparency and accountability, participants suggested that digital platforms backed by the government should be “engineered to enhance citizen participation in programmes and policies, to allow them to provide feedback.”

“To protect government data and systems, data must be encrypted, and individuals accessing the data should be vetted, cybersecurity threats should be monitored, and an audit trail of users kept,” it added.

Some 500 physical and virtual guests attended the 76th ANYSC themed: “Attaining the 5-Ps of Sustainable Development for a Resilient Ghana: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership”.

Mr Mohammed Ishaku, and James Adaboh, Assembly Members of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly, said they will implement the valuable insights gained from the session.

“From here, I will champion the election of MMDCEs, we will educate citizens in our locality to support the agenda because if we elect them, it will enhance development in the various Assemblies.” Mr Adaboh stated.

Mr Ishaku added: “The presentations were educative and if the government implements the recommendations in the communiqué, it will go a long way to deepen governance and accountability, especially at the local level.