The Deputy Ranking Member on the Local Government Committee of Parliament, Benjamin Kpodo, has disclosed that the government is indebted to the District Assemblies Common Fund to the tune of over GH¢6 billion due to the delay in the release of funds by the Finance Ministry.
According to the Ho Central MP, the Ministry of Finance has violated the constitution by failing to disburse the Common Fund every quarter.
He made this known in a contribution to the report on the proposed formula for distributing the DACF for the year 2024 in Parliament.
He stated that the Ministry of Finance has been violating the constitution. Article 252(2) clearly states that the disbursement should be done quarterly, which they were not doing. As we speak now, the Common Fund is being owed some GH¢3.5 billion over the past two years.
In 2023 alone, the debt surged by an additional GH¢3 billion. It’s perplexing where the Finance Ministry is holding the funds designated for the District Assemblies Common Fund,” remarked Kpodo.
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In response, Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei-Asare pledged the government’s dedication to clearing the outstanding debts.
Story by: Osei Akoto(Teacher Kojo) #Ahotoronline.com
