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The Greater Accra Regional Minister,Nii Afotey Agbo, has observed that late submission of medium term development plans of Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies (MMDAs) was adversely affecting the preparation of government plans projected for 2014-2017. He has, under the circumstances, urged officers assigned to work on the schedule to endeavour to have them completed and submitted within the shortest possible time. Mr Afotey Agbo made the statement at a two-day workshop organised by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) in Accra to review drafted documents from all the 16 MMDAs in the Greater Accra Region. The workshop was sponsored by the European Union and the Geographic Information System (GIS). The Greater Accra Regional Minister said the performance of some assemblies was not encouraging. He said the slow pace of work had resulted in delays in submission of draft documents to the NDPC and the RCC. To date, he said, only eight assemblies had submitted their documents, in spite of numerous reminders from the RCC, the NDPC and lately a circular from the Presidency. The Greater Accra Regional Minister explained that the plans were to provide focus and direction on priority areas for national development and support harmonisation and rationalisation of development programmes,projects and activities initiated in communities and at districts, regional and national levels. Nii Afotey Agbo said the role of the Regional Co-ordinating Council had even become more prominent in the scheme of things, particularly in providing technical support for all MMDAs in the region. He said there was the need to engage the citizenry, including relevant state actors, traditional authorities, civil society groups, non-governmental organisations and other identifiable groups and associations in the various steps and activities in preparing the documents. "This is to ensure ownership and engender effective participation in implementing programmed activities," he added. The Greater Accra Regional Economic Planning Officer, Mr George Gyapani Ackah, said the 60 participants selected from the 16 MDDAs in the Greater Accra Region were key actors, who were given three months to prepare and submit their reports. The current guide lines fall under the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda II. Mr Ackah said it was to facilitate the attainment of goals and objectives in order to become a middle level country. He said the government had a prime objective of encouraging participation in its agenda for development, which entails fighting poverty, providing citizens with secure and sustainable jobs, expanding infrastructural facilities and basic services and developing the human resource capacity of the people. "These objectives can only be attained through effective planning and implementation as well as strengthening structures and institutions in order to spearhead development processes and promote participation of interest groups," he said.