The Minister of Information, Dr Abdul Hamid Mustapha, has announced plans by the Information Ministry to hold town hall meetings in all the152 Metropolitan and Municipal Districts in the country in 2018.

The aim of the meetings is to adequately inform the citizenry on major government policies, programs and initiatives and to bring governance closer to the doorstep of the people.

It will also serve as a great source of feedback for many of the government policies being executed.

According to the minister, the government has embarked on major policies and social interventions aimed at restoring and maintaining macroeconomic stability, enhancing fiscal and monetary discipline and comprehensive industrial transformation.

These programmes, he noted must be explained to the citizens in order to get them involved in the development agenda.

Dr Mustapha Hamid disclosed this at the maiden launch of the town hall meeting held in Dzodze in the Ketu North District of the Volta Region on Monday.

According to the Information Minister, the country will be moving towards an inclusive society with opportunity for all if the town hall meetings are successful.

Key among the issues to be discussed in the various town hall meetings are the free SHS programme and related issues optimum health and health services, nutrition and food security, population management, poverty and inequality, water and sanitation among others.

The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Letsa in his speech noted that there cannot be good governance if the people at the grassroots are not well informed about major developmental initiatives being undertaken by the ruling government. 

He said the town Hall meetings are a strategic part of the development communication machinery of government to ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision making process at all levels.

Town Hall meetings are a decentralized means of giving the citizens and opinion leaders of the various communities nationwide the opportunity to get together to discuss the progress and emerging issues of both the central and the local government.

The Town Hall meetings are also in line with the sustainable development goals 16 and 17.

The national launch of Town Hall meeting was attended by MPs, MMDCEs , Ministers and a host of dignitaries