Government has significantly increased the allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to 88%, up from the previously intended 80%.
This policy shift, announced by DACF Administrator Michael Harry Yamson, aims to strengthen grassroot development by ensuring more funds reach Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for project execution.
In an interview, Yamson highlighted the government’s commitment to improving resource distribution at the local level.
“We said as a government that we will give the districts 80% of the fund, and this year we are going to give them 88%. Five years up to 2024, the assemblies only received about 53.5%. So, we are going from there to 88%”.
This marks a sharp departure from previous practices, where less than 50% of the fund actually reached the local level.
The move is expected to allow assemblies to complete essential development projects, thereby encouraging greater citizen engagement in how public funds are utilized.
Additionally, Yamson disclosed that the government is introducing new tracking technologies to monitor the efficiency of fund usage.
“We from the centre will provide the funds. They from the local level will now have to execute quality work on time, and that is what we will be tracking”.
These digital systems will incorporate citizen feedback, monitoring, and evaluation, ensuring transparency and accountability.
“From the district assembly’s perspective, we are working on some new tools that will allow every citizen to go online and comment on any project—whether about the quality, timeliness, or possibly the cost. We will open up the space for monitoring and challenging the quality of work to every Ghanaian”.
