The District Chief Executive for Okere in the Eastern Region Daniel Kenneth seems to be in hot waters after revealing that, the assembly received one million cedis out of four million cedis expected to be released into the District Assembly Common Fund [DACF] from the Central government for the year 2021.
The amount received he said, represents a paltry 25% of the fund.
According to the DCE, the Member of Parliament Dan Kwaku Botwe who doubles as the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development also received just 30% of the MP’s common fund during the year under review.
“With the District Assembly Common Fund government was supposed to release Ghc4 million to us but at the end of the year 2021, we received little over one million cedis representing about 25%. All because of the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic effect. So this is an indication that we must increase our IGF to enable us to undertake Developmental projects.MP was expected to receive Ghc1.5 million as common but received only 30% ” The DCE said this during the Assembly’s maiden edition of accounting to the people held at the assembly on February 17, 2022.
He however said the Okere assembly received One million cedis through the District Assembly Common Fund Responsiveness Factor Grant.” we projected to receive 1.5 million cedis but we managed to get Ghc1 million from the government due to our good performance”.
The statement by the Okere DCE corroborates claims by Minority in Parliament that the Ministry of Finance has failed to release funds to District Assemblies Common Fund for the whole of 2021.
But the allegation has been vehemently rejected by the Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei Asare.
The situation brought tempers high once more in Parliament on Friday, February 20, 2022, during the presentation of the business statement for next week.
Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ibrahim Ahmed appealed to the committee to program Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to answer questions about delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund which he claimed have been in arrears for the whole of 2021.
“Mr. Speaker we must program and bring the Minister for Finance to meet us for us to know the status of the formula that we used in 2021. I want to know how much was transferred from the Ministry’s account.
“The 2021 District Assembly Common Fund of Gh2.2 billion that was approved in this House there was not a pesewa transfer from the Ministry of Finance to the Office of the Administrator of District Assembly Common Fund. If there was let the Deputy Minister for Finance give us the figures,” he demanded.
The MP continued “How much was transferred, I want to know. Mr. Speaker if you are aware do you remember on the 17th of November when the Finance Minister was coming to present the budget we have this complaint that if there is no transfer we are not going to seat. Mr. Speaker the 200 million that you went to pay at the Access Bank that was first quarter 2020. So the whole of 2021 the 2.4 billion, you’ve not transferred a pessewa.”
This assertion, however, got Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei Asare incensed as she refuted the claim.
According to her, monies have been released to the fund to cater for some periods in 2021 contrary to the claim.
Okere embarks on projects
According to the DCE, despite the financial challenges the district faced amidst covid -19, and the assembly’s inability to meet its revenue target, it was able to fairly embark on some developmental projects in the district with the available revenue generated internally and externally.
He explained that the assembly’s internally generated funds from property rate, lands, royalties, rents, licensing, fees, and lorry park ticket wealth an amount of Ghc428,000 representing 85% of the revenue target for the year 2021 and over a total of over 8 million Ghana cedis received from various sources from Central government.
He said, ” Okere have benefited from the year of roads and the major roads that are ongoing at Nkurakan, Amanfrom, Asaman, Adukrom, Trom junction road, Lakpa to Akyekyetsu Koforidua road and a few ongoing roads that are happening in the district here, we have demonstrated to the general public what we have used their funding for as a way of letting them know that whatever we received from the central government and whatever we raised from them, we can use it judiciously to benefit them”.
He highlighted that the revenue generated was channeled to education, health, and agriculture saying “270 desks were distributed to some basic schools, rehabilitation of Samfo Ano KG block and Awukugua Presby school block, construction of Abonse health center and free health insurance scheme for persons living with disability”.
“The assembly also distributed 10,000 oil palm seedlings, 22,000 mango seedlings, and 2,000 coconut seedlings to some farmers in the district as part of the government planting for food and job initiative adding that about 5000 farmers benefited from the Agric Extension Service delivery and some 35 persons acquired free training in the mushroom farming production only in the Okere District,” he said
However, Hon. Daniel Kenneth disclosed that donor funds that contribute hugely to the assembly’s revenue have seen a sharp decline due to the effect of the covid-19 on these donor countries, therefore urging people of Okere District to accept the e- levy policy to help facilitate development.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Political Desk
