Local governance expert Issaka Amon Kotei has stated that Members of Parliament (MPs) have no legal entitlement to the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), emphasizing that the fund is constitutionally designated for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
Speaking on Bryt Adekyee Mu Nsem Morning Show with Kwamina Sam Biney, Mr. Amon Kotei explained that the DACF was established under Article 252 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution to promote equitable development across the country through local government structures.
According to him, the operations of the Common Fund are further guided by the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), which provides the legal framework to ensure fairness, accountability, and efficiency in the administration of the fund.
Mr. Amon Kotei clarified that the constitutional role of Parliament in relation to the DACF is to approve the formula for its disbursement, enabling the MMDAs to carry out their development mandates effectively. However, he stressed that MPs are not designated beneficiaries of the fund.
His comments follow renewed calls by IMANI Centre for Policy and Education for the abolition of the so-called “MP’s Share” of the DACF.
IMANI: MP’s Share of DACF Is a Legal Overreach
In a detailed statement, IMANI Centre for Policy and Education described the allocation of a portion of the DACF to MPs as a legal overreach that undermines Ghana’s constitutional framework.
According to IMANI, the District Assemblies Common Fund remains one of the most significant pillars of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, created to guarantee that development at the local level is a constitutional right rather than an administrative privilege.
The policy think tank argues that Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution clearly mandates that not less than five percent of national revenue be distributed among District Assemblies. The constitutional language, it notes, makes no provision for MPs, central government agencies, or other statutory bodies to directly benefit from the fund.
IMANI further points out that the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) designates Assemblies — not individual legislators — as the highest political and administrative authorities at the local level. Allowing MPs to control a portion of the fund, the group contends, blurs the constitutional separation between Parliament’s oversight responsibilities and the executive function of implementing development projects.
Origins of the MP’s Share
The statement traces the origin of the MP’s Share to a political compromise in 1997 rather than a constitutional amendment. Citing former Minister for Local Government, Kwamena Ahwoi, IMANI notes that parliamentary leaders at the time threatened to block approval of the DACF formula unless MPs were allocated a portion of the fund.
The group argues that this political concession has contributed to widespread public misunderstanding, with many citizens mistakenly believing that the funds are paid directly into MPs’ personal accounts. This perception, IMANI says, fuels a culture in which constituents seek personal financial assistance and development projects directly from MPs instead of engaging with their District Assemblies and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).
Accountability and Oversight Concerns
Although MPs are not official signatories to DACF accounts and must request funds through Assembly processes, IMANI maintains that they exercise significant discretion over project selection.
This arrangement, the statement argues, creates ambiguity in accountability and risks undermining the Assemblies’ authority over local development planning. Furthermore, it potentially compromises MPs’ primary constitutional role of exercising independent oversight over public expenditure at the local level.
Proposed Reform
IMANI proposes that 100 percent of DACF allocations should be directed strictly to the MMDAs in accordance with Article 252 of the Constitution.
Under this model, MPs would retain their advocacy role by proposing projects for inclusion in approved medium-term development plans of the Assemblies. All projects would then be implemented through established Assembly structures, ensuring transparency and accountability while preserving constitutional integrity.
The think tank concludes that reforming the DACF is not about diminishing the importance of MPs, but about safeguarding the constitutional principles of decentralization and strengthening local governance for sustainable national development.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Nhyiraba Solomon Nartey
