By Daniel Bampoe
Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has called on Parliament to take urgent steps to address delays surrounding the formula for the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), warning that continued delays are worsening the financial difficulties facing local assemblies across the country.
He made the call while contributing to proceedings on the floor of Parliament on Thursday as lawmakers deliberated on parliamentary business for the coming week.
Speaking while seconding a motion during the sitting, Mr. Annoh-Dompreh raised concerns about procedural clarity in Parliament’s business statement, particularly regarding the scheduling of questions and statements. He pointed out that while Members had been informed that parliamentary questions would be taken on Monday, the official business statement circulating in the House only advertised statements for that day.
According to him, it was important for the House leadership to clarify this to avoid confusion among Members when Parliament reconvenes.
Beyond procedural matters, the Nsawam-Adoagyiri legislator turned attention to the broader issue of statutory and constitutional funds, noting that Parliament had already approved formulas related to other major national funds.
He cited the passage of the funding formulas for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and the National Health Insurance Authority, stressing that a similar urgency must be applied to the DACF formula due to its direct impact on local governance and development.
Providing historical context, the lawmaker explained that the District Assemblies Common Fund is a constitutionally mandated fund designed to support the decentralized governance system. It allocates a portion of national revenue to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to finance local development projects such as schools, health facilities, roads, sanitation, and community infrastructure.
Delays in approving or implementing the allocation formula, he argued, have serious consequences for district-level administration and service delivery.
Mr. Annoh-Dompreh told the House that many assemblies are currently struggling financially, describing the situation as one where local authorities are “crying” due to the lack of funds needed to execute development programmes.
He therefore urged the Speaker of Parliament to issue firm directives to ensure the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund appears before the House to provide explanations and facilitate the passage of the outstanding formula.
He proposed that the Administrator be summoned to Parliament between Tuesday and Thursday of the following week so that Members could interrogate the matter and bring closure to the delay.
The Minority Chief Whip emphasized that the issue was not merely political but, one that affects grassroots development across the country, where local governments depend on the Common Fund to implement projects.
In his remarks, Mr. Annoh-Dompreh also expressed concern about broader fiscal management, claiming that capital investment levels remain inadequate despite the availability of funds. He argued that limited spending on development projects contributes to the economic hardships experienced by citizens, noting that when the government fails to invest in infrastructure and services, communities inevitably bear the burden.
The call by the Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP adds to growing parliamentary pressure on government institutions responsible for managing statutory and constitutional funds to ensure timely disbursement and transparency.
For many local assemblies across Ghana, the timely release and proper allocation of the DACF remain critical to sustaining development initiatives and delivering essential services at the grassroots level.
