The Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has disclosed that an amount of GHC1 billion out of the GHC 7 billion earmarked for disbursement this year have been released to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA) with each expected to receive a minimum of GHC25 million.
The Minister disclosed this while briefing Members of Parliament about the state of the economy on Tuesday, June 3.
Dr Forson said over the last 8 years, only 40 to 50 percent of transfers were made to the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), indicating that under the John Mahama Administration, 80 percent of the transfers will be made to the MMDAs to carry out planned development within the local government set up.
He said for the first time in several months, transfers of statutory funds have been paid on time and in full amounts.
Dr. Ato Forson said 2.5 percent of the amount disbursed to MMDAs “is earmaked for design and construction of model markets with 10 percent of the amount meant to construct health facilities including CHPS compounds in the districts, 10 percent for education infrastructure and another 10 percent for provision of potable water.”
The government, he said, has directed MMDAs to use 20 percent of their DACF allocation to complete abandoned projects started by the previous government.
The Finance Minister admonished MPs to ensure strict adherence to the use of MMDAs share of the DACF.
According to him, government has also paid GHC2 billion to the National Health Insurance Fund and GHC2.7 billion to Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund.
He also noted that “all feeding challenges in senior high schools have been cleared.”
By Evelyn Tengmaa
