The Ashanti Regional Minister, Kofi Opoku Manu, has urged heads of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to question the rationale behind central government's mandatory deductions from their share of the District Assemblies Common Fund. He said some projects were inserted into the assemblies' budget by some government officials who had interest in such projects. It was for these pet projects that the deductions were made from the Common Fund to cover the cost. Mr Opoku-Manu said that the assemblies had the power to query such projects to ensure that they were not imposed on them. "We must be able to question our superiors on the use of the Common Fund. If we do not ask questions, then they will continue to take us for granted. We should be vigilant and assertive and if we start questioning them, they will sit up," he said. The Minister was speaking during an interaction between the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in collaboration with KAB Governance Consult in the implementation of the GJA's project dubbed, 'Using the media to strengthen business advocacy.' The meeting discussed matters arising from earlier ones in December 2006 and May 2008 on how best the RCCs could provide the requisite support for the development of small medium entreprises (SMEs) in the region. The meetings sought the media's support in articulating the concerns of small scale entrepreneurs for the attention of policy makers. Mr. Opoku-Manu said that as a result of the deductions, some projects by the assemblies had stalled for lack of funds. "During my recent tour of the region, I realized that there are many school buildings, among other projects, that have not been completed and we cannot even say how soon we can complete any of them," he said. The Minister noted that the assemblies’ revenue generation had reduced and all of them now relied on the Common Fund. "I wonder whether we can account properly to the people on how we use the Common Fund." Mr Opoku Manu pledged the RCC's support to SMEs to enable them deliver. The Chief Executive of KAB Governance Consult, Kwasi Afriyie Badu, also noted that it was wrong for deductions to be made from the common fund for central government expenditures. He recalled that in 2006, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly experienced some deductions from the common fund which were used to pay off the cost of a certain number of mathematical sets. Mr. Badu appealed to the RCC to help the assemblies to live up to expectation to assist the SMEs which have the potentials of turning round the economy. He called on the assemblies to ensure they involved the SMEs in fee fixing as in most cases the SMEs were relegated to the background. The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Director, Samuel Okyere Kusi-Appiah, said the assemblies were shirking their responsibilities by allowing the central government to dictate to them. He said the assemblies had the right to question some of the deductions from the common fund. The General Secretary of the GJA, Bright Blewu stressed the determination of the association to get the media to enhance the SME sector for the betterment of the nation. Source The Ghanaian Times