Members of the Parliamentary select committee for Local Government and Rural Development led by Chairman Hon. Emmanuel Gyamfi, MP for Odotobri, is in the Eastern Region to inspect Common Fund Projects.
The delegation included Hon. Benjamin Kpodo – Ho Central MP, Hon. Naa Momo Lartey – Krowor MP, Hon. Richard Acheampong – Bia East MP, Hon. James Quayson – Assin North MP and Ernest Daffour – Clerk of Parliament first paid a courtesy call on the Eastern Regional Minister Seth Acheampong before embarking on the exercise.
The District Assemblies common fund, otherwise known as the common fund, is a statutory arrangement backed by the constitution of Ghana (1992) to transfer financial resources, (7.5% of national tax revenue) government to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for investment in development projects.
However, the fund is always misappropriated by the various metropolitan, municipal, and District Assemblies.
The Auditor-General’s department expressed its frustrations at the continued mismanagement of the District Assembly Common Fund despite past warnings for the consistent malfeasance.
The 2019 Auditor General’s report on Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies revealed that local assemblies mismanaged the District Assembly Common Fund to the tune of approximately GHS124.8 million.
The irregularities for 2019 showed an increase of GHS4.3 million from 2018 where GHS120.5 million was mismanaged.
The Auditor-General complained that this was a manifestation of the assemblies ignoring previous audit recommendations.
The report stated, “once again showed a lack of commitment on the part of the management of Assemblies in the implementation and enforcement of my audit recommendations towards mitigating infringements of the laws.”
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
