Assessing the Institutional Settings for Local Economic Development Promotion in Ghana

Jonas Ayaribilla Akudugu

abstract
Institutional arrangements for local economic development promotion commonly called local economic development agencies are often established to facilitate local economic development promotion. Through a qualitative assessment, this paper analyses efforts to set up local economic development agencies in Ghana. The paper argues that the structuring of the institutional architecture for local economic development in Ghana does not align with the principle of subsidiarity which requires that authority should presumptively rest on the agency representing those at the local level likely to be affected by an intervention. The current structuring of local economic development agencies in Ghana is top-down, largely ad hoc and in most part lacking legal or institutional powers to effectively promote local economic development. There is the need to re-think the approach to setting up local economic development agencies in Ghana to ensure local anchorage, and the commitment to make them functional and assume an enduring institutional character.

Keywords
Local economic development agencies, Subsidiarity, Institutional settings, Structures, Local economic development