The Zongo Development Fund Bill, 2017, has been read a second time on the floor of Parliament.
The Bill seeks to establish a Zongo Development Fund, to speed up the development of Zongo communities into centres of opportunity.
Presenting the report of the joint Committee on Local Government and Rural Development, and Finance on the Bill, the chairman of the Committee, Hon. Kennedy Osei Nyarko, informed Parliament that over the years, Zongo communities in the country have been bedeviled with infrastructure deficits, lack of social services and poor sanitation.
He said in line with the government’s efforts to ensure the welfare of every citizen; the Bill has been introduced as part of efforts to improve the lives of residents in the Zongo communities.
The chairman also stated the Committee’s observation of the inadequacy of the sources of money for the Fund as contained in Clause 5 of the Bill. He added that for the Fund to achieve its objects as set out in the Bill, the Committee believes that there must be dedicated and reliable sources of funding.
The Committee acknowledged the government’s promise of 50 million dollars for the Fund when established, and recommended that the amount be released immediately the Bill is passed into law.
