Ministry of Planning on Popularization, Decentralization Exercise

By: Amara Kargbo

Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MOPED) has carried a popularization and decentralization exercise to nine hard reaching districts across the country on the Mid-Term Development plan.

Alfred Kabia, Senior Information Officer, (MOPED) on Monday 17^th August, informed this medium that the 2019 to 2023, medium-term development plan which was launched in in 2019 was a means of capacitating human capital development.

The medium-term plan also entitled with its theme; Education for Development, which in numerous spectrumswill reduce poverty and improve the lives of people through education inclusive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it said.

He mentioned that, after His Excellence, President Julius Maada Bio had launched such plan, in 2018, the ministry carried an assessment survey which has to deal with people views in all the districts to make decision about their priority needs, and among the priorities, government would then select three of each district needs for development projects.

MOPED, through government wants to ensure that all their wants that they have chosen remain consistent in the plans well as district to own the plan.

The priority needs would then be translated into development projects because since government will not be undertake all projects at once.

Different experts were also involved into the process including Members of Parliament in all constituencies, Non-Governmental,Organizations (NGOs) to explain about the diverse priorities that people were yearning for including education, agriculture, road, pipe bone water, electricity, market  and others.

Opportunities were also given to people for them to think about facilities that would rendered a win-win situation into their districtswhich will equally help the planning process in the 2021 budget.