Accra, Ghana – President John Dramani Mahama has officially sworn in Michael Harry Yamson as the new Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).
This appointment follows a unanimous recommendation from the Appointments Committee, which commended Mr. Yamson for his exceptional competence, knowledge, and skills.
In his remarks, President Mahama expressed full confidence in the new Administrator and encouraged him to dedicate himself to the role.
Below is the full speech delivered by President Mahama during the swearing-in ceremony.
The Chief of Staff, Senior Staff of the Presidency, Honorable Ministers of State, Members of the Council of State, and our friends from the media.
On Friday, March 21st, 2025, I received formal communication from Parliament confirming the unanimous approval of my nominee for Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund, Mr. Michael Harry Yamson.
His appointment was made in line with Article 252-4 of the 1992 Constitution and Section 3 of the District Assemblies Common Fund Act 1993, Act 455, which mandates the President with Parliamentary Approval to appoint a competent individual to oversee the management of the fund.
I wish to extend my gratitude to the Right Honorable Speaker and the Honorable Members of Parliament for their swift and diligent vetting process, ensuring that nominees for key executive roles are thoroughly assessed and promptly approved.
The level of efficiency and commitment to strengthening governance and upholding institutional integrity is deeply appreciated.
In my recent address in Tamale, the Northern Region, I emphasized the crucial role that every part of Ghana must play in our nation’s development.
For Ghana to reach its full potential, we must harness the unique strengths of our diverse geographical, cultural, and social systems. Every village, town, city, or district has unique advantages, and when fully utilized, these advantages contribute significantly to our collective progress as a nation.
Our development strategy must therefore be inclusive, ensuring that no part of this country is left behind.
The framers of the 1992 Constitution recognized this fundamental developmental principle, and as a result, embedded decentralization and local governance as foundational pillars of our democratic framework.
They understood that empowering local communities is essential to unlocking the full potential of our human and natural resources.
To ensure effective governance at the local level, the Constitution not only established a governance structure for decentralized administration, but also made provision for its financing through the District Assembly’s Common Fund.
This system was designed to ensure equitable resource distribution, allowing every district to contribute meaningfully to national development. In effect, it allowed the districts to take their destinies into their own hands.
However, in recent years, the District Assembly’s Common Fund has faced significant challenges that have undermined its ability to fulfill this constitutional objective.
The introduction of the earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act of 2017, Act 947, significantly reduced the financial resources that were made available to district assemblies, and thereby restricting their capacity to undertake critical development projects.
Although the provisions of this Act affecting the District Assembly’s Common Fund were eventually declared as constitutional by the Supreme Court, the period during which it was enforced had a profound impact on local governance, depriving districts of much-needed funds and stalling essential infrastructure and social services.
In addition, successive delays in the release of the Fund, and in some instances, the failure to remit the constitutionally mandated 5% of total national revenue, have severely disrupted local governance operations.
These setbacks have led to stalled infrastructural projects, inadequate service delivery, and growing frustration among local administrators and communities who depend on these funds for essential development.
If we are to truly uphold the spirit of decentralization and inclusive growth, we must correct these shortcomings and ensure that the District Assembly’s Common Fund functions as it was originally envisioned, to empower local governments and accelerate national development from the grassroots.
To address these challenges and restore the District Assembly’s Common Fund to its rightful role as a catalyst for local development, we must ensure that its administration is placed in capable hands.
The complexity of managing such a critical national resource demands strong financial expertise, strategic foresight, and an unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability.
The administrator must not only have a deep understanding of governance and public finance, but also possess the leadership qualities necessary to drive efficiency, enforce compliance, and implement reforms that enhance the Fund’s impact.
It is with these high standards in mind that I decided to nominate Mr. Michael Harry-Yamson, a seasoned strategist and governance expert, whose extensive experience makes him well-equipped to navigate the challenges ahead and reposition the District Administration Common Fund as an effective tool for decentralized development.
His career has been defined by a commitment to operational excellence, accountability, and sustainable growth, with extensive expertise in financial systems, investment planning, and corporate governance.
He possesses the critical skills required to effectively manage national resources and drive impactful reforms. His integrity, visionary leadership, and results-oriented mindset make him well-suited to lead the DACF at this crucial time.
Now, his responsibilities: As administrator of the District Assembly’s Common Fund, Mr. Yamson, you will be expected to prioritize financial discipline, operational efficiency, and enhance transparency.
You are to ensure that the Fund will implement accountability-driven processes, ensuring that District Assemblies receive the necessary resources to accelerate grassroots development and enhance service delivery across the country.
I am confident that you will bring your extensive experience in institutional reform and financial management to strengthen the DACF’s operations and position the Fund as a key pillar of Ghana’s decentralization agenda.
Beyond the need for competent administration of the Fund, my government fully recognizes that timely, efficient, and adequate disbursement of resources is equally critical to the success of local governors.
A well-managed District Assembly’s Common Fund can only achieve its intended impact if the central government remains committed to ensuring that funds are released on schedule and in full.
It is with this understanding that in the 2025 budget, we have made a firm commitment to remitting at least 80% of DACF allocations directly to the Districts. In the past, in some cases, as much as 47% of the Common Fund was disbursed from the District Assembly, leaving very little at the discretion of the Assemblies.
This policy is designed to eliminate unnecessary delays, reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies, and empower local authorities to plan and execute development projects with certainty.
By strengthening the financial autonomy of District Assemblies, we are not only reinforcing the constitutional principle of decentralization and equitable development, but we’re also ensuring that communities across Ghana receive the resources they need to drive economic growth, infrastructure expansion, and essential public services.
My government is committed to instituting robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that the fund allocations are used effectively and transparently.
Our objective is to ensure that every Cedi is accounted for and directed towards projects that improve the lives of our citizens.
To achieve this, we’ll collaborate with Parliament, civil society, and local stakeholders to enhance oversight, eliminate inefficiencies, and promote best practices in fund management.
I believe that this approach will restore public confidence in the DACF and maximize its impact as a driver of equitable development, job creation, and improved service delivery.
By strengthening decentralization, we’ll ensure that every region receives the necessary support to thrive, foster national progress, and share prosperity. As Administrator, Mr. Yamson shall be at the forefront of this effort.
The task ahead demands collective effort, transparent administration, efficient implementation, and community engagement.
When we invest wisely in local government today, we secure national progress for generations to come.
On behalf of the Administration, Mr. Yamson, I congratulate you once again and wish you the very best in your new role. May your tenure be marked by progress, efficiency, and impactful service to our beloved nation.
I thank you and may God bless our homeland Ghana.
In his remarks, Mr. Michael Harry Yamson, the newly appointed Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund, expressed his gratitude to the President for the honor of his appointment.
He emphasized that his mission, along with his team, is to ensure that over the next four years, they work diligently to address disparities in development.
Their goal is to support communities—whether in municipalities, metropolitan areas, or districts—that face various forms of deprivation and need assistance.
Below is the full speech delivered by Mr. Michael Harry Yamson:
Madam Vice President, permit me to start on established protocols.
I’m indeed very grateful for the honour done me by this appointment to be the Administrator of the District Assembly’s Common Fund. The call actually arrived at 41 minutes past midnight. I don’t think I’ll forget it.
And the Honourable Minister for Finance said, where you are going is very important. Are you ready? And I said I was.
And since then, I’ve thought long and hard about the charge. In simple terms, it is to reduce the inequalities in development and to help those communities, whether they are found in municipalities or metropolitan areas or districts, that suffer deprivation of many kinds in health, in access to water, in education, and in simple things like tarred roads.
My task, and that of my team, is to ensure that over the next four years, we do justice to these areas and these people.
It is not a task that the Administrator can do by himself or herself. It requires close collaboration with the Minister for Local Government, and I’m glad to see how enthusiastically he has received all the comments of the President.
It also, as the President said, demands that the central government, through the Finance Ministry, regularly, timeously, and in full, deliver to the DACF the funds required to support these activities.
And Mr. President, I can confirm to you that we are almost done with the formula for 2025, and we have just crossed the 80 percent mark. I’m not quite touching 81 yet, but we’ve crossed the 80 percent, and the districts will have the money as it is received. So, once again, I’m grateful.
On behalf of my team at the DACF, I say thank you for the confidence placed in us to continue to exercise the mandate of the Fund, and we assure you that we will diligently do so throughout your tenure in office. Thank you very much, Sir.
Enjoy some Pictures below:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites
) / Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 
