The Technical Committee of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) received representatives of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), led by the Head of Cooperation and Deputy Ambassador, H.E. Janine Walz, at the IMCC Secretariat on Thursday, 5 March 2026. The meeting was convened at the instance of the IMCC Secretariat to deliberate on the proposed Technical Assistance (TA) Fund aimed at supporting Ghana’s decentralisation reforms.
In his opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of the IMCC Secretariat, Dr. Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, expressed appreciation to the Technical Committee members for their technical input in finalising the National Decentralisation Policy and Strategy (NDPS) 2026–2030. He highlighted that the NDPS, currently awaiting Cabinet approval, formed the basis for engagement with SECO.
Dr. Hoedoafia also acknowledged the Swiss Government as a consistent partner in Ghana’s decentralisation efforts and recognised the contributions of SECO and GIZ in supporting the development of the new policy. He further disclosed that the Swiss Government is contributing 12 million Swiss francs to the District Assemblies Common Fund – Responsiveness Factor Grant (DACF-RFG) programme.
Speaking at the meeting, H.E. Janine Walz emphasised that the NDPS is a critical instrument for strengthening local governance in Ghana. She noted that the successful implementation will depend on the active participation and capacity of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs). She noted that, as a strong advocate of decentralisation, SECO views the proposed Technical Assistance Fund as an important support mechanism for the IMCC Secretariat and its member institutions.
The proposed Technical Assistance Fund is designed as a flexible, demand-driven mechanism to strengthen the implementation of the NDPS 2026–2030. With a proposed commitment of approximately 500,000 Swiss francs, the fund will provide timely, high-quality technical expertise, policy support, institutional strengthening, analytical work, and capacity-building for central institutions responsible for steering Ghana’s decentralisation reforms.
It is expected to finance initiatives including legislative drafting, institutional diagnostics, reform roadmaps, capacity development programmes, and the development of tools and methodologies aligned with the NDPS thematic pillars, which encompass administrative decentralisation, political decentralisation, decentralised planning, local economic development, and popular participation and accountability.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Hoedoafia indicated that the IMCC Secretariat would continue bilateral consultations with key stakeholders on the proposed fund and that follow-up meetings would be convened as necessary to finalise the design and implementation arrangements for the programme.
The meeting was attended by Chief Directors who are members of the IMCC Technical Committee and was chaired by Dr. Esther Offei Aboagye, who presided in the absence of Prof. Kwamina Ahwoi.
