The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs has announced that, starting this year, at least 80% of the District Assembly Common Fund will be distributed to the regions, while the remaining 20% will be allocated to projects under agencies such as the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).
This initiative is aimed at strengthening decentralization and enhancing local governance.
The announcement was made during a courtesy visit by the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Simone Petra Giger, to the ministry on March 10, where discussions focused on fostering diplomatic and developmental cooperation in the local governance sector.
Addressing the media, the Sector Minister, Ahmed Ibrahim, stated that all developmental authorities and agencies are being placed under the ministry’s supervision to ensure that employees at the district level are actively contributing to local development.
He also emphasized the need for efficient and transparent property rate collection as part of efforts to improve revenue generation for local governance.
“ What President Mahama is doing now is bringing all the development authorities back under the Ministry of Local Government. He is also committing to allocating 80% of the District Assembly Common Fund to the districts so they can independently decide how to use the funds.
“With this, districts in Accra will no longer have to move facilities like boreholes and toilets to different districts in other regions. The essence of decentralization is to devolve power to the people while equipping them with the necessary resources to address their local needs, which often differ from the priorities of the central government. What we are doing now is the best approach, and they are happy about it,” he said.
Swiss Ambassador H.E. Simone Petra Giger expressed hope that the government would follow through on its commitment to decentralization.
She also reaffirmed Switzerland’s continued collaboration with Ghana to support local governance and national development.
“Ghana has a long history of decentralization reforms. While this was a courtesy meeting, we also received a positive signal from the minister, indicating that Ghana is entering a new phase of decentralization, which I believe will benefit the country.
“My visit today also signifies that Switzerland stands with Ghana, and we are here to stay. If Ghana is truly committed to taking the next step by granting more power and authority to local governments, we will be extremely happy to support that effort,” she stated.
