The Techiman Civic Union (CU) in the Brong Ahafo Region, made up of 96 civic society organizations, has called for an annual public budget hearing of the Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to ensure transparency and accountability. This was contained in a position paper signed by Mr. Oliver Yeboah-Asuamah, Union Secretary, and presented at a day's stakeholders' regional consultative forum in Sunyani. It was organized jointly by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) and the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) for the acceleration of decentralization in Ghana. The forum, the seventh in the series, was attended by more than 250 participants including representatives of traditional councils, women and youth groups, non-governmental, public and civil society organizations, heads of tertiary institutions, municipal and district chief executives, presiding and assembly members. It aimed, among others, at strengthening the effectiveness of decentralization for a pragmatic and realistic impact on the lives of the populace in the context of judicious utilization of resources. The CU argued that since monies received by the assemblies are spent on behalf of the people, it would be in order to apply the greatest degree of openness to promote public trust and confidence in personnel at that level. Source: GNA