A baseline survey conducted by the International Foundation for Social Accountability (MIHOSO) has recommended that the Sunyani West Municipal Assembly adopts digital tools to improve revenue mobilisation and strengthen local governance systems.
The study urged the Assembly to invest in software that can generate and track reliable data on revenue collection, describing it as essential for improving Internally Generated Funds (IGF) performance.
Presenting the findings at a social accountability forum at Odomase, Mr Thomas Benarkuu, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Operations at MIHOSO, said the survey also highlighted the need to strengthen sub-district structures and intensify civic education on by-laws, accountability rights and citizen participation.
The forum formed part of the “Social Accountability for Resilient Democracy” (SARD) project, implemented under the GIZ-backed Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) programme. The initiative is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-funded by the European Union and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Cooperation.
It aims to improve citizen-oriented and accountable governance at both national and local levels.
Mr Benarkuu noted that although social accountability systems exist within the municipality, they remain weak and inconsistently applied.
He also pointed to low citizen awareness and limited engagement in governance processes, as well as communication gaps between the Assembly and residents, which affect service delivery and trust.
He stressed the need to strengthen Social Audit Committees and improve feedback mechanisms to enhance transparency and public participation.
According to him, better communication on how public funds are used would also help improve revenue collection and community trust in local authorities.
The survey, which used a mixed-method approach involving interviews and questionnaires, covered residents aged 15 and above across major communities including Odomase, Chiraa, Fiapre, Dumasua and Nsoatre.
Participants at the forum included traditional authorities, traders, market women, faith-based organisations and government representatives.
MIHOSO emphasised that stronger citizen participation and accountability systems are critical for sustainable development and effective local governance.
